


Power of Pillow Forts

by KaithTheKid



Category: Ever After High
Genre: F/F, Sleepovers, pillow forts 5ever
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-05-03 10:18:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5286938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaithTheKid/pseuds/KaithTheKid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raven thinks best in pillow forts. But what is she thinking about?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short little thing to get used to writing on this site. Hope you like it!
> 
> Edit: It *was* a short little thing, but now it is becoming a much bigger story. Hope you stick around for the ride!

Apple skipped into the room she shared with Raven, humming cheerfully. She was halfway through sorting out her homework on her desk when she noticed that Raven's half of the room was far different than usual. Now, Apple could easily handle some gloomy crows, or a black rose bush, maybe even some gloomy, heavy curtains. All of that would be perfect for a future Evil Queen, and would be just terrific! Terrifying, but in the terrific way. But this was decidedly more... silly.   
Apple walked over to the impressively large pillow fort, and saw that Raven's chipped purple toenails were peeking out from what she assumed was the entrance. Apple cleared her throat daintily, and Raven's head popped out. "Oh! Apple, come in!" Apple knelt on the ground and crawled, doing her very best to be dignified. 

Raven had piled pillows and blankets out side her little fort, sure, but Apple hadn't been expecting the inside to be quite so lush. Raven had her comforter as a makeshift carpet, and a large amount of pillows both supporting the sides and lining it. Raven herself was settling back down, resting her notebook on her knee. Apple wiggled into a pillow, sighing in relaxation. She addressed the blanket ceiling. "Ray? Why all this?" She waved a perfectly polished hand to their new surroundings. She could hear Raven shrug, the fabric whispering with the motion. After a moment of silence, she spoke.  
  
"I guess I just wanted to think." Apple giggled and Raven grinned ruefully. "I know- I could think anywhere. It's just... it's easier like this."   
Apple let them lapse into silence, doing some thinking of her own. "You know, I used to hide in the trees as a little girl. I felt like my brain was clearest there." She could hear Raven's smile in her reply.  
"That's adorable." Apple didn't have time to blush before Raven added, "What did you have to think about?"  
"I'll tell if you tell." Their silence was long this time, filled with inquisitive chirps from the meadowlarks on their window sill. "You don't have-"  
"No, it's fine. But... can you go first?"  
  
Apple shrugged. "I just didn't really know what to think about being a princess, or the destiny thing. I didn't know anything about my future, and suddenly they told me exactly what I had to expect. It was a weird feeling."  
  
Raven seemed surprised. "But now you're fighting for people keeping their destiny instead of rebelling. Something change?"  
  
Apple stretched out her arms. "We have the power in our stories to change some things. We don't have to all be the same. I'm not like my mom at all, and her story was way different from Grandmother's." She rolled on her stomach to face Raven, her hair bouncing with the motion. Somehow the tangled curls managed to look graceful, rather than mussed. "Destiny is nice, knowing what's going to happen, but it still has some surprise to it. All we know are outlines."  
  
Raven chewed the end of her pencil nervously. "But in every outline, I poison you. I can't hurt you, I just can't do it."   
  
Apple shrugged. "Maybe something will change. We're not going to know until it happens. Don't worry just yet."  
  
Raven's eyebrow raised and she grinned. "You've been worrying all year." The golden princess stuck out her tongue. Raven lightly cleared her throat. "Okay, my turn." Apple rested her chin on her hands, waiting patiently. Raven looked away and cleared her throat again. "Don't be mad, okay?" She could hear some rustling, then felt warm arms holding her. All she could see was golden hair- Apple had scooted across her fort to comfort her. Raven took a deep breath. "I might like girls?" She held the breath.   


Apple squeezed her for a second, then sat down beside her, close. Raven instinctively closed the notebook, keeping her finger on her page. "Why are you scared?"  
Apple's voice was soft, sweet as her namesake. Raven didn't know how to answer. "It doesn't change things. We all still love you. Nothing is going to change that." She playfully nudged Raven with her shoulder. "And here I thought you were going to tell me you stole all the apple muffins in the castleteria!" Raven snickered in spite of herself. Apple's voice was quiet again, barely a whisper. "Why are you still scared?" Black painted nails dug into the notebook, leaving little indents on the cover. Apple slid her fingers over the cover, gently tugging. She slid her finger to the page Raven was marking, and Raven relaxed her hands, silently allowing Apple to view her deepest secret.   
  
Apple gasped at the words in Raven's scrawl, and looked up to the blushing princess. Blushing herself, Apple reached up and stroked Raven's cheek with a trembling hand. Raven's eyes met hers and Apple couldn't look away. Slowly, she leaned in and kissed Raven's cheek lightly. Raven wrapped her arms around Apple and held her close, feeling their thumping hearts dance to the same beat.   
  
No more was said, but no more words were needed. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek into the minds of our leading ladies.

It was never easy for Apple White to relax. Her slim shoulders supported the entire future of a kingdom, and her current status of most popular student didn’t help. Apple had spent many nights laying awake, staring at the wall or Raven’s sleeping form, going over the day that had passed and planning the next one. She planned for any things that could go wrong, anything that could go right, and lately, anything that might randomly just… happen. She always hoped to be asleep before she ran out of things to plan. But too often, she was still awake and waiting in the night for the last, the biggest, most terrifying anxiety to float through the air and pop into her head. 

Apple was never going to be a good princess, or even a mediocre queen. She was merely a sham and wouldn’t live up to the legend her destiny had assigned her. Late at night, that is when the perky popular girl’s mask would shift and slide right off, leaving a small blonde girl huddled under her red and gold comforter and shaking with muffled sobs. Her entire life, Apple was told exactly how to act and be. She learned to embrace vanity, that nobody wanted to see a princess that was less than perfect. When her mother had told her what life would unfold in front of her, the story she was going to live out, Apple wasn’t sure what to think or expect. The next day, she was informed exactly what everybody else expected- absolute perfection. The minute her parents informed Apple of her destiny, she had to perform the Princess act every day for the rest of the life, and it was a tall order. From a scrawny little tomboy to a sweet simpering thing in about a day. Five year old Apple still tried to climb trees in her slippery slippers and full skirts and go scolded. Ten year old Apple settled for picking fruit from that same tree. Sixteen year old Apple wanted to do both things and so much more and not care about any of the risks hanging over her head like so many rotting berries. 

From all accounts, her mother had eagerly embraced her destiny, and had been the perfect princess from birth, without even trying. She made it very clear that mistakes weren’t accepted from her only successor. Apple struggled every day to live up to those expectations, and as soon as she thought she had finally reached her goal, the bar raised that much higher. It was exhausting, terrifying, and in the bottom of her chest, Apple knew this would be her life forever after. 

 

But now- just now, just in this moment as two hearts beat together and her lips still tingled from brushing over Raven’s cheek and all she could feel was soft feathers on Raven’s dress and softer velvet and the warmth of being held- now she felt all of that fear slide away. She lay her head on Raven’s shoulder and closed her eyes, grasping the moment for all she was worth. Here in the pillow fort, being the perfect princess just didn’t matter anymore. 

~~~

Raven felt her world come to a stop when those cherry red lips brushed her cheek. It was the barest of contact but Raven felt a blush come from the top of her crown to the end of her toes. Instinctively, her arms looped around Apple’s waist, feeling her weight settle as she allowed herself to be pulled close and held. She could feel the rise and fall of Apple’s breathing, the tiny movements as she settled in closer. Raven was pretty sure that as a future Evil Queen, she wasn’t supposed to feel heaven but she must have cheated the system and gotten a taste. 

She wasn’t entirely sure what Apple felt or was thinking, but Raven didn’t want to break the moment and find out. There was emotion filling the small space, strong and sweet. This wasn’t supposed to be how things came about, after all. Her plan was to think, to write out her feelings, talk with Maddie, think everything through some more, and then ultimately come up with some kind of plan. Part of her was in a mild state of panic, but most of her was focused on having a princess in her arms. 

This wasn’t their story. In fact, any story where there was kisses involved a prince and princess. Raven had assumed her adoration of Apple was just another symptom of being broken. A princess meant for evil who couldn’t bump into a table without apologizing, a girl who loved another girl, a witch who was terrible at magic… there was a series of stories in Raven’s life featuring the bird with a broken wing who couldn’t do anything properly.   
And she was supposed to grow up to be the scariest story in town. Fat chance. 

Raven leaned her head on Apple’s, smelling the apple-cinnamon shampoo she had come to love. Actually, she had immediately loved it. From when she first met Apple White, Raven Queen had been totally infatuated. Like many terrified teenagers, she handled the sudden feelings by giving Apple as much of a cold shoulder as she could. She very resolutely refused to notice which dress was her favorite, or that she preferred fritters to tarts. After her sudden promotion to Apple’s roommate, it was impossible to even attempt to ignore her. 

Maddie suggested that the infatuation might fade after a few weeks living with her- perhaps Apple snored, or used all the hot water. But every morning, even as the months passed, her heart still flipped when Apple said her name. Every night, Raven fell asleep trying to dream of being evil and successful, and of being with an equally evil prince- but every dream was of waking up holding her golden haired queen and ruling a peaceful kingdom at her side. In the end, the most evil thing she did was mentally hope Daring would fall off a dragon and leave her to fulfill the role of Prince in Shining Armor.   
….. but she immediately took it back because she’d feel far too guilty if he really had taken such a fall. 

Being evil might make many people happy, it might help her fulfill her destiny- but Raven had always known that she could never poison Apple. It would kill a part of herself for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very brief, but I'm finding it easier to break things up into short chapters rather than long ones. Hope you liked it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Important things are discussed, and tea is had by all.

She held Apple a little tighter and felt Apple’s sigh. “Apple? Are you okay?” Raven let her go reluctantly. It occurred to her that the kiss could have simply been out of sympathy and that her own hopes had caused her to misread it. Suddenly anxious, Raven began fiddling with her hair. 

Apple shook her head, more to clear her thoughts than as an answer to Raven’s question. “Everything is so complicated again.” She sighed again. “I thought I finally had it all figured out.”  
Raven offered a rueful grin. “Nobody really has it figured out again.” After a pause, she added, “I’m sorry I messed it up.” The regret in Raven’s voice pierced through the anxiety clouding Apple’s mind. She looked up in surprise to see Raven’s violet eyes bright with tears. 

 

“Oh no, Ray, no please. It’s not you.” She gently caressed Raven’s cheek, her thumb rubbing her cheekbone. “It’s always been easier to pretend to be someone I’m not, and I’ve done it so long that I forgot any real part of me.” She bit her lip, the pain shoving tears back a bit more. “I thought if I didn’t like girls, if I wore the dresses and sang the songs, I’d finally be a good enough princess to deserve the destiny I’m supposed to have.” The lump was rising in her throat and she couldn’t swallow the tears past it. “I don’t deserve any of it, and I never had a chance to decide if I even want it,” she sniffled. “You know who you are. All I know is who I pretend to be, and I’ll never be able to change that.” Even sniffling and choking back tears, Apple was heartbreakingly beautiful. Raven wanted to wrap her up in the strongest protection spell she knew, banish everybody who had ever hurt Apple to some horrible place. 

 

Raven’s voice was quiet as she brushed the tears off Apple’s cheek. “Why can’t you change? You said you believe destiny is a series of outlines. Surely changing a bit won’t ruin your destiny.” She didn’t mention that Apple could always do as she did and ditch destiny entirely. Apple was already shaking her head, pushing her hair out of her face. 

 

“My story always calls for the perfect princess, beautiful and kind. If I change, then my story loses its princess. It won’t continue at all.” She buried her face in her hands. “Even now, I’m not perfect enough for the tale. I only have a few short years. If I don’t become the perfect princess, I’m putting so many people’s future’s at stakes. People are counting on me, and I’m just not good enough to pull through.” The delicate sniffles broke out into huge, gulping sobs that shook her shoulders. Apple buried her head in Raven’s lap as Raven gently ran her fingers through the golden tresses, humming soothingly.

A knock came at the door. Apple’s head popped up, mascara smeared and lipstick faded. Raven jumped at the sound as well, and the Pillow Fort of Deep Discussions and Confessions became a Pillow Fort Of Panic. Raven cleared her throat. “Um, now is not the time.”

The door opened anyway and Raven groaned. Apple was trying to hide in the corner of the pillow fort, attempting to wipe the mascara from her face. Unfortunately, she managed to spread it over more of her face and hands. She stared at her palms in shock and instinctively wiped them on her skirt. Looking down, she moaned quietly- the beautiful red and gold fabric now had muddy black and glitter smeared over the design. 

A chirpy voice answered Raven. “Oh silly, now is the perfect time.” Maddie’s head popped through the opening of the fort and she was sitting cross-legged before Raven could stop her. Maddie continued, “It’s always the perfect time for tea and now is the most perfect time for tea of all.” She produced a small tea table and three cups, pouring tea into them. She offered the first cup to a suspicious pile of pillows. “Here, it’s chamomile.” The pillows only wiggled a little and did not respond. Maddie rolled her eyes and held the tea out further. “Please take the tea, Apple.” The top pillow was gently placed down, and Apple smoothed it with her hands, trying to look as sunny as she could with puffy eyes and mascara on her chin. Her hand was shaking as she accepted the cup and Maddie busily handed the other cup to Raven, before holding her own to her small nose and gently blowing to cool the tea. A dormouse slipped out of her pocket carrying something white in its mouth, running to Apple. She was surprised to see he had given her a handkerchief and used it to dry her eyes more thoroughly.

“Thank you, little mouse.” He nodded smartly, before curling up near her knee. Apple gently pet him, calming down as she took a sip of tea. “What a pleasure to see you, Maddie!”

Raven raised her eyebrows as she took her first sip of tea. For all her effort, Apple just wasn’t convincing in her little act. “What brings you here?” She leveled a look at Maddie. The implied question was, “Why didn’t you listen when I said ‘go away’?”

Maddie giggled, “Technically you didn’t say ‘go away’, and there’s no better time for chamomile tea than when someone’s upset.” Raven blinked. “The narrator told me Apple was crying and I thought, ‘Well we just can’t have that’ and I brought my tea tray as fast as I could.” Apple did look much better now, taking small sips from her tea and stroking the mouse’s soft ears. She took a deep breath in and out, then smiled up at Maddie, a genuine smile at last. 

“Thank you Maddie. A little tea does go a long way.” Maddie grinned and refilled Apple’s cup. “Can you really hear the Narrator?” Raven rolled her eyes as Maddie nodded. “Then you know what’s going on.”

“Probably better than either of you, actually.” Raven and Apple exchanged a puzzled glance. Maddie leaned in and stage-whispered, “This narrator is omniscient and blabbed all of your personal thoughts!” Raven went pale and Apple flushed. Maddie waved her hand dismissively, “Don’t worry, just the recent ones. I’m no blabbermouth!” 

Apple cleared her throat nervously. “Well then. Any… any thoughts? Either of you?” She circled the rim of the tea cup with one finger. “I must admit, I’m at quite a loss.”   
“I think you’re being too hard on yourself, Apple. Nobody really expects you to be the perfect princess. We love you just as you are.” Raven hesitatingly reached out and wiped the most obvious blot of mascara off her chin.

“Your mother might put a lot of pressure on you, but she’ll love you even if you change. Or rather, unchange.” Maddie giggled behind a gloved hand. “You’ll be a princess either way, and what’s more perfect, a leopard changing its spots, or a tiger earning its stripes?”

“It’s not going to be easy. Mom is going to be furious.” Apple sighed, then smiled as Earl Grey curled happily into her hand. In one movement, Raven and Maddie leaned forward and gently placed their hands on her arms.

“You’re not alone. You have us.” Raven’s eyes held more than friendly support.

“And all of the Rebels! Being yourself is what we stand for after all,” chirped Maddie. “I can’t believe the Royals would abandon their best friend ever after either.”

“Of course they wouldn’t. Apple, we really will all love you no matter what you choose to do. I’m right here beside you. If anybody says a word sideways to you-” Raven snapped her fingers and a small purple flame sparked into life- “Well, they’d have their own problems to deal with.” Maddie giggled. Raven had immediately sparked to the role of being the protective girlfriend.

“And Raven of course will love you in a special way nobody else could, so really you have nothing to worry about in the slightest.” Apple choked on her tea and Maddie blinked already. “Don’t play coy, I know you know and you already knew I knew you knew and if we must split hairs, I knew when this was all brand new and poor Raven here was just so blue!”

Apple cleared her throat. “Well now that we have figured out my inner turmoil, we might as well address the reason this pillow fort was built in the first place.” She leveled a gaze at Raven. “What exactly was that? Just your feelings for-” Her cheeks went brighter than a polished Red Delicious- “Um, for me?”

Raven sighed. “I’m tired of being the odd bird out. I was the first one to say I don’t like my destiny, that I don’t want to poison Apple, and now…. well, do you know any other girl who likes girls?” Maddie slid her eyes over to Apple, who raised her hand shyly and they all giggled. “I mean, someone that people outside the pillow fort knows about.”

Maddie nibbled on a scone, offering one each to the other girls. “Why must it be a big deal? Or a big secret for that matter.”

“Maddie, the second it’s not a secret, it becomes a big deal. New ideas aren’t exactly the norm here.” Apple nodded as Raven spoke. Raven examined her tea cup. “There’s also the little problem of not wanting to date a fellow Rebel.” It seemed to be a very good thing Maddie had appeared. After all, she was planning to talk to her about this in the first place. Maddie was her best friend, and for all the Riddlish and silliness, she always had the best advice. 

Apple took a deep breath, and the other two girls focused on her. “If i’m gonna make a big wave, then I might as well make it a bit bigger.” She lay her hand on Raven’s, and swallowed down her nerves. “Ray, will you go on a date with me?” Raven nodded, overcome with a mix of nerves and joy and other emotions she wasn’t sure she could put a finger on. 

“Goody! Well toodaloo, and might I suggest you two go on a shopping date? After all, you have a makeover to undergo.” In the wiggle of a mouse’s ear, Maddie and her pet were out of the pillow fort and out the door. Without their intrusive friend, Apple and Raven suddenly found themselves feeling awkward. 

Apple was the first to break the silence with a shy smile. “How about it? I do want to buy a few new outfits, and if I had you by my side, it would be much easier.” She kissed Raven’s cheek and leaned her head on the soft feathers of Raven’s dress. “You make me so much bolder than I used to be.”

Raven kissed the top of Apple’s head, feeling as if she must be glowing. “You make me an awful lot sweeter.” Apple touched her cheek and remembered what a mess she had become, exiting the pillow fort with a squeak and rushing into the bathroom. 

Raven lay back on the pillows, covering her face with her hands and beaming. A lot had happened very quickly, but a good a lot. Wonderful things, just one after another. Well, it wasn’t wonderful that Apple had been so upset, and who knew what the future held but the pure joy of Apple kissing her cheek had turned everything into one golden glowing memory. Raven left the pillow fort as well, grimacing at the mirror. Turns out static electricity has quite an effect on long black hair. She grabbed her brush, and smoothed out her hair, still grinning in the mirror. A glanced was spared for the pillow fort- should she take it down? Raven didn’t think she was quite ready to destroy it. It had done so much more for her than she thought a few pillows and blankets could.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some emotions and a lot of smudged makeup, the girls head out of the fort and hit the stores.

Apple washed her face clean of the smudged mascara and ruined eyeliner. She dried her face with a monogrammed towel and paused before checking her phone. Briar had texted three times asking if they were still on for shopping and tea that afternoon. Apple checked the time- her tea time with Briar was in less than an hour. She sat on her vanity chair, spinning to face the large mirror as her hands automatically reached for the necessary items. She let her mind wander, listening to the quiet movements of Raven getting ready for their… for their date. Apple flinched and wiped off a bit of mascara on her nose. “Um, Ray? I completely forgot I was going to meet Briar in the front hall to go to the stores.” She watched as Raven slowly put down her brush and met Apple’s eyes through the mirror. The pale princess looked like she was fighting disappointment in those lovely violet eyes, so Apple continued, “Is it okay if she joins us for the shopping trip?” Raven nodded, looking much less sad. “I… I’ve got a lot to tell her about. And when it comes to shopping, there’s nobody better.”  
  
Raven nodded and walked over, perching on the edge of Apple’s fluffy bed. “Sounds good to me. Are you sure you’re up to this? You’ve had a pretty emotional day.” Apple shrugged, finishing her lip gloss and tucking it in her bag. “Honestly? I’m hexcited. I feel like I’m getting a fresh start.” She fluffed the ends of her hair and smiled at Raven. She blushed a lovely plum color and Apple grinned, more mischievous than Raven had seen her before. “What about you? After all, you built the pillow fort to think in, not for me to be so… so very dramatic.”  
  
“I’m pretty sure I figured it all out. I was all agonized over being totally spell-bound for my roommate, but. . .” She shrugged and grinned at Apple. “That kinda got all resolved. Honestly, it seems like you had a lot to figure it out. I’m just glad you trusted me enough to tell me about it.”  
  
“Of course I trust you, Raven!”  
  
Raven raised an eyebrow. “Even though I’m supposed to cast a curse on you?”  
  
“Even then.” Apple stood and took a few steps to Raven. Even though she stood as Raven sat, Apple was only barely taller than her. “Look, I know in the future things are supposed to change, but this isn’t the future. We have a while for that to happen.” Apple offered her hand to Raven, who took it. As she stood, Raven shifted her hand so their fingers were interlaced and gently squeezed. Apple smiled and sighed contentedly, Raven’s eyes and appreciated the moment. The sun was rich and golden, the air crisp and sweet. So many wonderful things had happened in the last hour and watching Raven’s lips curl into a smile, she knew more wonderful things were on their way.  
  
“C’mon, we don’t want to keep Briar waiting!” Raven gently tugged her towards the door. Hand in hand, the two princesses walked into the hall. Apple’s anxiety rose with every step, until she was sure that at the sight of the two princesses, the school would go into a revolt and everything would be ruined and it would be all her fault. By the time they were exiting the building, Apple was squeezing Raven’s hand so tightly that her nails were digging in. The anxiety was catching, and Raven took a deep breath to calm her nerves. As she exhaled, she smiled calmly. After a second, the day caught up with her and the calm and reserved smile broke into a grin of pure delight.  
  
Briar’s grin was less “swooning first love” sweetness and more “totally called it” smugness. She slid her phone into her purse and pointed at Apple and Raven, flicking her finger between them. “So this, this is a thing now, right?” Raven nodded while Apple blushed deeply. Briar’s grin turned into a broad smile and she hugged Apple tightly. “Hexcellent! Now, let’s get shopping. Those sales won’t wait.” She dragged on Apple’s hand, briefly connecting a short chain of girls stumbling their way out of the entrance hall. Raven raised her brow at Apple as they caught their balance and resumed a more reasonable pace. Apple shrugged at the silent question and giggled, dragging her new girlfriend into the nearest store.  
  
It was easy to dance in and out of the stores with her two favorite girls, but much more difficult to actually shop. Briar had a small mountain of choices on the chair outside her dressing room- the delicate chair seemed to be bending under the load. Even Raven had tried a few outfits on. But none of the clothing choices seemed just right to Apple. After admitting it to Raven, it was much easier to admit it to herself- the ruffles and lace she usually wore just weren’t her. They never really had been.  
  
She wandered through the store, letting her fingers walk over racks and hangers as she looked for something she wanted to try on even a little. Her fingers walked right into a waiting hand, and Raven squeezed Apple’s hand gently. “What’s going on? I thought this was makeover time.” Apple stepped closer to Raven, hesitatingly resting her head on the dark princess’s shoulder. Raven blushed and gently ran her hand down the flaxen curls. “We don’t have to do that now, if you don’t want to. Bookend isn’t going to go anywhere. And you know Briar is always up for a shopping trip.”  
  
“She’s got that right!” Briar grinned, holding a few more new choices in her arms. Her face softened when she saw Apple’s. “Hey, whatever’s got you worried, it’ll work out.” She playfully nudged Apple with her elbow. “We’re princesses. It’s fate to have a happy ending.” Briar chose to ignore Raven’s eyeroll.  
  
Raven hummed quietly, thinking. Leaning forward, she grabbed a pair of dark blue skinny jeans off a nearby shelf and handed them to Apple. Confused, Apple unfolded them and held them out in front of her. Before she could come to a conclusion, Raven handed her a simple tee shirt. “You know what you don’t like to wear. You’re not going to find out what you do like until you try a few things.”  
  
“I like the sounds of this. A style reset! Can I help?” Briar tossed her choices onto her pile and wound through the displays looking for new things for Apple. Pleading blue eyes turned to calm violet ones.  
  
“Seriously, Apple. Just go with it. I promise, it’ll be worth it in the end.” She places a soft kiss on Apple’s forehead and scooted her into the dressing room.  
A deep breath in, and a slow one out. Apple shook her head and slid off her frock, pulling on the crisp jeans and soft shirt. She stared at the mirror, turning in circles. The entire outfit felt very different, especially the jeans. She wasn’t accustomed to pants, and it felt like her legs were being strangled. Impatient knocking at the door made her giggle, and she stepped out.  
  
Briar evaluated her, waving her finger to make Apple spin. Raven’s jaw was somewhere in the basement of the store and she was having a bit of difficulty getting it back where it belonged. Her reaction stayed much the same for outfits 2-6 as well. It was lucky they had Briar there- she was able to take care of all the fashion expertise, doling out advice about fit and colors. Briar was as floored as Raven, even as she kept her head. She had known Apple since they were little, and she had never seen Apple so happy. This was such a genuine smile, it made all the other seem forced, and Briar was beginning to wonder if they had been. But it didn’t really matter to her- just as long as Apple was happy and not wearing something horrendous. Anyway, the afternoon was turning out to be so much more fun than casual shopping and coffee- makeovers were always more fun.  
  
Apple was modelling outfit number 37 (artfully shredded leggings and a crimson tunic) when Briar got a call. In a rush of panicked words, she explained having a study party with Ashlynn, Dexter, and Hopper and had completely lost track of the time, then rushed out the door of the shop. Without her bubbling energy to inspire new outfits in the other girls, Apple and Raven felt the day’s varied emotions catch up to them with a roar. Raven’s stomach was reminding her they hadn’t had anything since Maddie’s scones, either.  
  
With Raven’s help, Apple carefully chose five new outfits that suited her more than her old style and bought them with a trembling excitement. She grinned at her reflection wearing the first outfit out of the store. The brown boots were much lower than her teetering heels, and the indigo jeans Raven had first chosen had grown on the fair princess. Her new tee shirt was more maroon than her signature crimson, but she liked the soft jersey and the way it looked with a casually cool letterman’s jacket.  
  
Raven was admiring the new look as well. The clothing was gorgeous on her new girlfriend, because of course it was, but after Raven had adjusted to the changing looks, it was Apple’s face that deserved the most attention. Though the sunset was gilding the world in dazzling gold, Raven couldn’t rip her eyes from Apple, who seemed to drink in the sunlight and multiply the brightness with her smile. Raven could feel the sappy grin on her face and couldn’t wipe it off. She thought she had a crush before, but this whole day had made her realize that Apple was even more wonderlandiful than she had ever imagined. She cleared her throat and grinned bashfully when Apple shot her a puzzled look. Raven wondered how long she had been staring. “So, Apple. . . Are you hungry?”  
  
“I’m famished.” Right on cue, her stomach growled and she flushed.  
  
“How about a real first date?” Raven looked askance at Apple who giggled and grinned.  
  
“I’d love to go on a date with you, Ray.” She raised her brow. “Though I think we’ve gotten it a bit out of order.” Raven rolled her eyes as she held the door for Apple and her many bags, giddy at the prospect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the involuntary hiatus! Life happened all at once because that is what life does. ... I really need to work on a queue.  
> I promise, next time will be more fluff and less angst!


	5. Chapter 5

“Uh, Ray?”

“Mhm?”

“Where are the breadsticks?” Raven looked over her shoulder, frowning. Up to that point, the conversation had been lively, but Apple White was right. Usually by now, they would have received a basket of fresh, buttery breadsticks and ice water. For that matter, nobody had come to take their drink orders either. She fumed silently, fingers tapping on the polished wooden table. If the Be Our Guest Bistro wasn’t the only one in Book End, they wouldn’t have come here. She didn’t even really like their food that much, but Apple’s eyes lit up at the thought of pasta and so they were here. 

Warm fingers calmed Raven’s tapping nails as Apple interlaced their fingers on the table top. “I’m sure they’re just understaffed and didn’t see us. It is busy here tonight.” Apple wasn’t wrong, the small dimly lit restaurant only had one or two tables empty, and even now, a new couple was ushered through to one of them. Raven’s eyes narrowed as they were promptly brought ice water and breadsticks. Apple saw it too, and sighed. “Okay, there’s no excuse for that, we’ve been here for ten minutes.” She checked her MirrorPhone. “Longer- I hexted Ashylnn right after we came in.”

“I’m giving them five minutes before I get mean.”

“Sweetie..” Apple said warningly. “I’ll just catch someone’s attention! I’m sure it’s simply a mistake.”

The first waiter was holding a full tray of food. The second was a busboy with a full load. The third looked too hassled, the fourth was holding two fresh drinks, and the fifth was guiding other people to their chairs. Raven sighed in frustration.“Sir- oh, he’s going to give someone their check, I can’t-” 

Purple fire bloomed on the back of the man’s collar, dragging him slowly back to their table. Apple smothered her giggles and tried to give Raven a glare. Raven ignored it, fixing her own glare on the waiter, who was currently trying to regain his composure. “Sir, we have been waiting here for twenty minutes now. I’m starving, my date is starving, and we don’t even have glasses of water. This is inexcusable.” He gulped, growing a bit paler. 

“Can I take your order, miss- I mean, ma’am?” Raven frostily gave their orders and watched him scuttle away, plopping their waters and bread in a haphazard angle before escaping her ruthless glare. 

Apple snatched the top breadstick as lady-like as she could, taking a big bite and chewing happily. She swallowed, commenting, “That is probably the most villainous I’ve seen you ever.” Another bite and swallow, then she continued, “This is worse than the time Sparrow woke you up at 2 am.”

Raven blushed with shame as she nibbled. “I’m just so hungry! And there’s no reason for this. Other people aren’t having the same problem.”

Apple shrugged. “I don’t care that much. Now we have something to snack on, and I’m sitting here in a romantic restaurant with my new girlfriend. . . It’s like a dream.” Raven propped her chin on her hand, reaching for Apple’s hand with her free hand. Apple smiled and twined her fingers with Raven’s playfully. “Did you ever think this would happen? I mean, us.” 

Raven shrugged. “After I figured out what my feelings for you were, I just assumed I was going to have to get used to a life of pining over you. I was busy pining when you came back.” She paused for a second, humming under her breath before continuing. “You know, I still don’t know your side of things.”

Apple flushed to match her namesake again, a little habit Raven had only discovered today and was already very fond of. Nobody could turn quite as red as Apple- it must be a White family trait. She swallowed her bite of breadstick and smiled her thanks to the server who had returned with her ravioli. Charmed, he smiled in return and muttered, “My pleasure, Your Highness.” He slid Raven’s salad in front of her, appearing to do his best to give her the food without any actual contact. She smiled up at him anyway, a pleasant, “thank you” on her lips. It died in silence as he avoided eye contact and scrambled away. She snorted and stabbed an innocent pepper with far more aggression than necessary. Apple watched the entire exchange with slightly raised eyebrows, turning to shoot a glare at the waiter’s retreating back. It was beginning to dawn on her why they had waited so long. Or at least, part of the reason why. 

She cleared her throat after the first bite of ravioli and began, “I didn’t realize what I felt for you for a long time, you know.” She smiled- Raven’s scowl slid off and was replaced with eagerness. She continued, “I knew I liked you, as a person, of course. You’re very likable-”

“I am?” Raven looked shocked.   
“Well, yes of course. Aside from your reputation, you’re very kind. You’d make a better princess than me in a lot of ways.” Raven scoffed and Apple demurred, “Or at least as good as one. May I go on?” Raven giggled and waved her hand-of course, of course- and Apple smilingly continued, “So I knew about you coming into school, obviously. My mother always told me to steer clear of any Queen and to stick with my fellow Royals. But then, we were in the same Chemythstry class, and you weren’t what I hexpected at all.” She took another bite of her pasta. Apple didn’t want to pause the story and eat, but her ravioli was already getting cold. 

Raven took a few bites, only realizing when Apple took a bite that she had stopped eating as well. The story already had her spellbound, and it hadn’t even gotten to the good part yet. It was thrilling, to know the other side of the story. It felt like reading a familiar tale, only to realize that the half the pages weren’t finished. Now they were being spelled out for her. With a start, it occurred to Raven that their story was only just beginning. All the pining and confusion over fluttery feelings was the prologue. 

Apple swallowed her mouthful and continued the narration. “I thought you were pure evil, with an icy heart. Ever after all, all the other students avoided you. But your true heart was much warmer than I had been led to believe. You apologized, you thanked people, you often treated others far better than they treated you.” She blushed and fiddled with her fork. “You are also very pretty.” Raven blushed as well. “When we had that assignment together, I was nervous to work with you, but not scared. Remember how fun it was?”

Raven grinned and nodded, swallowing her bite of lettuce. “We kept getting off topic and having to study late in the library. The step librarians were furious.”   
“Hexactly! I loved being around you. You’re funny, and smart, just so much fun to be with! I didn’t want it to end. But it did. And that was the only class we had together. I was sorry to see the chapter end, and I didn’t know why. Everybody hexpected me to be relieved, and. . . I’m ashamed to say, I pretended I was. I didn’t want them to hate me for not hating you.”

Raven stretched a comforting hand across the table. “That’s not your fault, App. There was a lot of hexpectations on your shoulders, and you’re hardwired to want to please every single person.” Apple shrugged. 

“After that, I knew I wanted to see you again. I started saying hi to you in the hallways and castleteria, I think Briar suspected something. She mentioned at least once that you just didn’t seem all that evil.” Apple pulled her heavy curls, now mussed from changing clothes all afternoon, into a ponytail and tied it with a rubberband from her wrist. “I kept thinking about you that entire break, wondering if you were really evil, since you seemed so charming. I told myself that I was worried you’d flip the script. I was, but not nearly so much as I convinced myself. The day before the new chapter, I went to Headmaster Grimm and asked him to switch our rooms so we could live together. I told him that I wanted to live with you to better convince you to be a true villain.” She finished the last few bites of her ravioli. “Ever after all, you certainly weren’t going to poison me when you were being so sweet. Now that I think about it, Briar had to have known something was up. She kept asking why I wanted to live with you and not her, why I had decorated your side of the room.”

“It actually is very nice. A little dreary for my tastes, but the purple and navy color scheme is quite lovely. And it was very thoughtful to put a perch on my windowsill for the ravens and crows.”

“They’re lovely, once I got used to them.” Apple thoughtfully stirred her iced tea. “After you moved in, we were talking much more, getting into adventures, studying…. our friend groups even began to merge.” She giggled, covering her mouth in case some stray food was unattractively caught in her teeth. “I cared about my future of course, but I cared much more for you.”

Raven sipped her water, tilting her head as she asked the question she was curious as a cat about. “When did you realize you had a crush on me?”   
There was the signature Apple White blush again. “The first morning I woke up with you as my new roommate.” Raven raised her eyebrow and leaned forward, her chin resting on both fists. Apple nervously played with her hair and closely examined the grain of wood on the table. “I might have had a dream about you that made it pretty clear.”

“You don’t have to keep talking if you don’t want to,” Raven reassured her as Apple paused. 

“No, it’s okay. Just a little embarrassing.” She smiled and nodded at the waiter as he handed them their check. She opened it up and noticed that 15% had been taken off the price of their meal. The bright golden ponytail bobbed in approval. It was only fair after the curt, borderline rude treatment they had received. She slipped in enough cash to cover the bill with a scant bit left over- not enough to be a proper tip, but she really didn’t want to stick around and get change, then leave the correct tip. Apple mentally swore to over tip the next time- but only if the service had improved. Raven said something, dragging Apple away from her mental calculation.

“I said, what’s embarrassing?” Raven stood, gathering a few of the bags into her arms. Apple held the door as they walked into the calm night. They walked to a nearby bench that had a clear view of the castle, and Raven dropped the bags onto the bench. With a wave of her hands, sparkling fire scooped the shopping bags up and whisked them to a far away window in the dormitory wing of the school. The window obediently slid open, allowed the bags to close, and slid shut again. She brushed her hands together, then did a silly bow, exclaiming, “Et voila!” Apple giggled and took Raven’s arm, and they set off down the street. 

Apple tilted her head back and took a deep breath of the fresh air. She let her eyes close, trusting Raven to guide her for a few seconds. When she spoke, her voice was quiet in the gentle breeze, dusky tones meant for Raven’s ear only. “I have this recurring dream, I’ve had it since they told me I was supposed to step into Mom’s metaphorical slippers. There’s me, falling, usually after eating an apple, but sometimes it’s other things. Then a blur and I’m being woken by someone in gleaming armor and I get on his horse and we ride off. Sometimes, it’s a wonderful dream, but usually it’s a nightmare. When I met Daring, he became the prince, but the dreams still left me uneasy and feeling sick. But that night, you were the one who kissed me and woke me up. I couldn’t ignore my feelings after that.”

They were content to walk in silence for a few moments. The surrounding darkness took up the conversation for them. All around was the music of the breeze waking chimes, leaves brushing against each other, the flutter of banners. Bubbles of voices floated as they passed the crowded coffee shop, and golden light spilled onto the cobblestone path here and there. Through the screen of trees, more golden windows lit up the horizon, partially blocked by swaying leaves. The girls turned into a small park, more lamplight spilling onto a deserted playground. Without speaking, they turned towards it. 

Upon reaching the castle- shaped playground equipment, Raven gently pulled the smaller princess into her arms. Apple stood on tiptoes to brush her fingers through that black hair and Raven hummed quietly in the back of her throat, leaning into the gentle caress. Smiling softly, Raven leaned down to kiss Apple, pulling her ever more into her arms. Unlike the quick kisses they had enjoyed through the day, this was slow and tender. They melted closer, both awash in the delirious delight of what they had dreamed. 

For sure, cheek kisses and forehead smooches had been wonderful, but nothing compared to this. Raven felt as if every nerve in her lips was on fire. She was acutely aware of every place Apple’s body touched hers- not simply in the lips, but the soft hand caressing her cheek, Apple’s other hand tangled in her hair. She had expected the taste of sweet tea Apple had been drinking, but the faint taste of cinnamon and vanilla was unexpected. She knew from sharing a bathroom with the Royal that apple blossom shampoo was her preferred scent, but just knowing that fact was one thing. Smelling juicy apples and light floral hues under the stronger scent of fruity perfume was a completely different experience, one that left her feeling a bit dizzy as she gently pulled away. 

Apple smiled shyly, tugging Raven’s hand to sit beside her on the playground’s stairs. She needed to sit, her knees so weak from that kiss. She pressed her lips together and leaned her head on Raven’s shoulder, entirely an excuse to be closer. The kisses in her Raven-related dreams were sweet, but not like this. Nothing could have prepared to the feel of soft hair over and between her fingers, tasting the joy Raven was feeling. The rich bloom of spices from Raven’s favorite soaps and perfume stayed with her, and Apple knew that she’d never forget it. She turned to see Raven’s face, nestling into the firm hold. Raven’s grin was unabashedly huge, and Apple knew hers was just as giddy. 

They stayed there, quiet night broken only by soft kisses, for several long minutes before it occurred to either girl that the night had grown chilly. Hand in hand, they left their little refuge and walked back into the main square of Book End.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for bed and absolutely nobody wants to go to sleep.

Raven didn’t have it in her to take down the pillow fort. She had changed into pajamas, washed her face, and now was sit sitting at her desk and staring at the pillow fort while braiding her hair. She resigned herself to doing it. The only other option she could think of was sleeping inside the fort, but she tended to toss and turn and one teensy roll would destroy the whole thing. She’d rather dismantle it now and sleep comfortable in her bed than wake up with the fort ruined anyway. With a sigh, Raven began the unhappy task. 

“Aw, do you have to?” Apple was watching Raven through her vanity’s mirror as she braided her hair. Unlike Raven’s simple french braid to keep it out of her face,   
Apple had a delicate arrangement that would add a gentle curl in all the right ways. She preferred it for weekends. “I like it. It could be a great homework doing spot!”

Raven frowned looking at the fort, then her girlfriend. “I don’t want to, but what are my choices? I thought about sleeping inside but I’d only mess it up.”

Apple chewed her lip as she thought. The obvious solution made her stomach flip in dizzying ways and she wasn’t entirely sure she was ready for the intimacy even innocently sharing a bed would bring. Plus, she kicked in her feet and wasn’t ready for Raven to know all the bad things about her quite yet. At least, not the bad things Ray didn’t already know.Neither could she ask Raven to spare the fort and sleep on her bare mattress on a cool night. 

“Oh, duh.” Apple stood and gathered half her pillows and tossed them at Raven, then grabbed her soft, warm comforter and another blanket, gently pushing Raven out of the way and making a small bed for her on top of the empty bed. When she finished, Raven had a smooth blanket to sleep on and the comforter to keep her warm and two more pillows than she’d need.   
Raven grinned and hugged Apple. “Oh my fairy godmother, you are such a genius.” Apple grinned up at her and stood on her bare tiptoes to kiss Raven’s cheek. “I know.” She frowned at the clock on the wall. “It’s getting late. Maybe we should go to bed. “

“Are you tired? Because I’m not.” Raven stretched her arms out. Aside from the pajamas, she looked fresher than she did most mornings. “I guess I’m just running on adrenaline or something.”

Apple snorted. “Not really, but I don’t know what we can do. All our homework is done for the weekend, “She tapped out things on her fingers, “I’ve organized my new clothes and picked out the week’s outfits-” Raven rolled her eyes as Apple continued, “Maddie still has our chess board, and Lizzie is never going to give back my deck of cards.” 

“You really should have known better. I think she has everybody’s cards.”

“True. You think by now they’d stop suggesting students bring some for downtime. Nobody’s managed to keep their deck of cards longer than a month.” Apple rummaged through some hanging shelves in her closet. “Ooh, look I still have Uno!”

Raven groaned. “Nooo, you always beat me at Uno.”

“What, you aren’t down for a game? Too worried you might lose? I shoulda known you’d be a chicken.”

“Oh come on, that isn’t going to work.”

Apple ignored her. “They must have named you after the wrong bird. You’re not a noble Raven at all, you’re far too scared for one little Uno game.”

Raven sighed and hid a grin, trying to stay annoyed. “Apple….”

Apple tapped the cards in the palm of her hand, then leaned forward. “What’s this? A feather?” She plucked a stray feather out of Raven’s hair. “Yep, I knew it. You’re chicken.”

“Really? The feather’s black. That doesn’t even make sense,” Raven scoffed.

Apple began clucking, pecking at Raven with her fingers as she did so. No matter how Raven tried to get away, Apple was right there, poking and clucking at her. Raven tried to keep a stone face and ignore the performance but Apple wasn’t growing bored. She clucked insistently in a little tune and poked Raven’s cheeks gently. 

“Oh that’s it, you’re on.” Raven scowled, amusement showing in her eyes. Apple giggled and did a little victory dance in place.

They sat facing each other while Apple expertly shuffled the stack, then handed it to Raven to shuffle again. After playing with Kitty too many times, all the students had a castle rule that at least two players had to shuffle the deck. The girls began to play, giggles and good-natured jibes flicking back and forth just as fast. Finally, Raven lay down her last card, leaning back on her hands with a smug grin. “Finally, Raven Queen wins at Uno! Truly, this is a night for the ages!” She raised her arms in victory, posturing for an invisible audience.

Apple stared at her hand, holding 23 cards thanks to some ruthless “plus four” cards Raven had kept piling. She tossed the cards at Raven, teasingly jeering, “You cheated!”

“No way, you know I followed the rules!”

Apple grabbed the discard pile of cards and threw a few of them at a time at the protesting Raven, shouting, “Cheater, cheater! You are a sneaky cheater!” A quiet knock went unheard through the racket. The second knock was much louder, and the girls hushed. Apple guiltily opened the door as Raven picked up the cards as innocently as she could. 

“Oh! Cedar, you scared us. Come in!” Raven relaxed as Cedar tiptoed in, surveying the damage. 

“I cannot tell a lie, you guys made quite a mess.”

“Apple did it.” Raven said instantly. Cedar turned and peered inquisitively at Apple, who tried to flip her braids over her shoulder. It didn’t work and she burst into giggles instead. The other girls cracked up too. 

Cedar sat beside Raven and leaned against Apple’s bed, adjusting herself to make sure no stray splinters could catch the thread. “Why are you up so late, anyway? It’s nearly two in the morning.”

“It is?!” Apple gaped at the clock. “Oh my Grimm, I didn’t even notice.”

“Time flies,” shrugged Raven. “We couldn’t sleep so we thought some cards would be better than staring at the ceiling.”

“You can’t even stare at the ceiling,” corrected Cedar, “You both have canopies.”

Raven rolled her eyes and bumped her shoulder into Cedar’s, wincing as she hit hard wood. She always forget that Cedar wasn’t flesh like she was. “Why are you awake? I thought you were an ‘early to bed, early to rise’ type.” Apple nodded in agreement. Cedar shrugged.

“I just wasn’t feeling very tired. I was going to make some cocoa, but then I heard you guys.”

“You know, that sounds really good.” Apple was still standing and reached her hands down to Cedar and Raven. “C’mon, I want some.”

Raven protested, “I was comfy!” but let herself be pulled up anyway. Cedar giggled and let Apple pull her a bit as she stood up, then used the forward momentum to jump a bit forward. Apple, thrown off balance by the sudden movement, found herself tipping into Raven, who managed to keep her balance and steady Apple. 

Cedar was already opening the door and waving at the others. Together, the three teenagers tiptoed into the hallways, trying to be as quiet as dormice to make up for the earlier commotion. 

The reached the small kitchen and Cedar grabbed three mugs from hooks, humming a little tune as she reached for three packets of powdered hot cocoa mix. To Raven’s surprise, Apple gently swatted Cedar’s hand away and shook her head. Cedar and Raven exchanged an amused look. It seemed clear that Apple White was taking the lead in this kitchen endeavor. The grins and exchanged eye rolls continued behind Apple’s back as she bossed them around the kitchen, directing milk to be poured and heated, measuring and mixing cocoa powder, sugar, and far more spices than Raven was sure was required. The end result was poured carefully into their mugs, and topped off with spongy marshmallows smothered in whipped topping. Over this, Apple carefully sprinkled a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg. 

It looked delicious. Raven reached for her mug and closed her eyes as she simply inhaled the sweetly spiced smell. Just the smell was enough to warm her almost as much as one of Apple’s kisses. She took the first sip and stared at Apple in amazement. “You’ve been holding out on me.”

Cedar hummed in happiness, licking a bit of whipped cream from her lip. “Yeah, I thought you only made things with apples in them.”

Apple grinned and took a long sip. “Of course not! That would get boring ever after all. I just like making cocoa. I used to make it the boring way, but I started experimenting and this-” Another long sip. “-Is the very pleasant result.”

Cedar leaned on the counter behind her. “It’s spelltacular.”

Raven nodded. “Seriously, you should be a barista or something. Except only in hot cocoa.”

“I like doing it just for my friends. It’s more special that way.” Apple wiped up a stray drip of cocoa. “Anyway, doing it all the time would just be hexhausting.”

“Any other secrets hiding in that pretty little brain?” Raven finished her mug quickly. It was impossible to stop drinking it once she started. “If I get any more amazed, I might just fall over.”

Apple rolled her eyes. “It’s more fun to surprise you, don’t you think?”

“I wish I knew what it was like to surprise people- the secrets just fall out of my mouth.” Cedar looked a little wistful as she stirred what was left of her cocoa with a finger. 

“Oh come on, everybody has a hidden talent,” Raven called over her shoulder as she washed off her mug. 

Apple added, “Not even secret! Just something you haven’t been asked to show off and never really thought about. I didn’t purposefully hide my hot cocoa recipe. Just didn’t think much about it.”

Cedar drank, her brows furrowed in thought. “Hmm. I guess…. I’m a pretty good juggler?” Apple laughed in surprise, and covered her mouth as Cedar scowled in her direction.

“I just wouldn’t have imagined it! Show us! Please?”

“I dunno… what even with?” Cedar looked doubtful. The look changed to rueful as Raven started rolling fruit to her.

“There’s no harm if you try.”  
“If you drop it, we won’t tell anybody.”  
“We’ll even wash off the fruit and eat it so nobody will know it’s been dropped!”  
“Please show us?”  
“It would be so cool!”

Laughing, Cedar put up her hands in submission. Apple and Raven high fived, then giggled as Raven kept Apple’s hand and held it tight. Cedar looked at their locked fingers and back to them with a slightly arched eyebrow and a grin, making both girls blush slightly and squeeze each other’s hands tighter. She chose not to comment on it just then. 

“Don’t laugh if I drop, okay?”

“Promise we won’t!”

Slowly, Cedar began tossing two oranges and an apple up in the air, keeping a steady circle and rhythm going. “So, what’s going on with you two, anyway?”

Exchanging glances, Raven was the one to answer. “We’re dating. We sorta had our first date yesterday.”

“That’s spelltastic!” She grinned broadly as she switched up her juggling, tossing one fruit higher than the others at a time, so that an orange would go flying with the other fruit made a couple of passes, then the other orange soared above the others and so on. 

The others grinned in relief they hadn’t expected to feel. “It is?”

“Well, duh. It’s fairy cute. But, uh, you know I can’t lie, right?” Cedar’s brow furrowed. She didn’t want to out her friends, but honesty was ingrained in her. She had to concentrate not to miss her catch.

Another look was exchanged and this time, it was Apple who spoke, declaring with a nod, “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it, Cedar. I think we’re ready to spill this story.” She shrugged with a smile, her eyes following the paths of the apple. “I don’t like keeping secrets either.”

“Oh good! I’m so relieved.” Cedar’s juggling showed it as she got fancier. She didn’t speak, concentrating instead on more complicated patterns, fruit crossing mid air, flying high above, then fast and lower. Bringing the fruit to a mid-level circle, Cedar spun and kept the fruit in air even behind her back. With a last flourish, she caught the oranges in one hand and the apple in another, bowing to the other girls’ quiet applause and huge smiles.

Cocoa drank, mugs washed, and fruit thoroughly juggled, the girls found themselves at odd ends. It was nearly 3:30 in the morning and the three of them were barely tired at all. They trotted through the halls back to Raven and Apple’s shared room, feeling silly and giddy in being the only ones awake in the entire castle- and probably the surrounding town. The group of girls burst into giggles once they were back, and none of them could have said exactly why. There was a sheer exhilaration in the air brought from a good night following a good day. 

Cedar plopped herself back on the floor, then stretched out on her stomach with her arms crossed under her chin. Apple followed suit and Raven joined them, tucking cold toes under her leg. “So what next?” asked Cedar. 

Raven shrugged. “Maybe a movie? I have Hexflix.”

“Oooh, that sounds good!” Apple agreed. Raven bounced to her desk and retrieved her MirrorPad, sitting between the others as she brought up the site. They quietly flicked through choices, mocking shows they didn’t like and exclaiming over favorites. They finally settled on “Tiara Trinkets”, a romantic movie about a lonely tiara maker and the jeweler who helps her create a beautiful tiara while falling in love. 

At first, the girls gasped and sighed, giggling and swooning as the romance unfolded. Soon, their reactions gave way to yawns. Cedar was the first to doze off, her forehead resting on her crossed arms. When Raven noticed, she quietly grabbed Apple’s comforter off the bed and draped it over the three.

Apple, her eyes half shut with sleepiness, cuddled closer to Raven. Raven played with her hair gently and Apple smiled, her eyes closing as she rested her head on Raven’s shoulder. Soon, the two were asleep as well, snuggling with the warmth of Cedar against Raven’s back. 

Cedar was the first of the fairytales to wake up. Opening her eyes, she was a bit disoriented until she remembered the night before. She sat up and stretched, yawning widely and blinking in the bright ray of sunlight that warmed her face. She glanced over and saw her companions cuddling in the remainder of the blanket. It was cute, really. Both were using Raven’s arm as a pillow, and Apple had tucked her head close to Raven’s in her sleep. Raven’s hair had strayed out of her loose braids violet locks bringing out the goldest shimmer in her girlfriend’s tight braids. 

Cedar watched them for a second, a wistful smile tugging at her cheeks. She stretched again, and carefully stood up, tucking the comforter closer to the others before tiptoeing to the door. Cedar took one last look at them before she quietly shut the door- it really was a scene out of a romantic story book. The colors were rich, the sunlight golden and making Apple’s hair glow even brighter than usual while Raven’s strands drank it in. Not for the first time, Cedar wished love was in her story’s ending. The door shut with a quiet click behind her. It was a new dawn, a fresh blank page turning over. The day was full of promise and Cedar was going to make it live up to it. But first, breakfast.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday dawns and the school discovers the reigning Royal/Rebel couple.

There’s a moment between true sleep and true consciousness when everything floats. Nothing’s real, and nothing is a dream either- neither pleasant nor unpleasant. The brain tries to catch the moment and stay there, but it’s like trying to catch the colored light from a stained glass window. The truest beauty of the moment between sleep and waking is its impermanence. 

Raven was floating in this space for long seconds, like a dust mote in afternoon sunlight. It felt like her brain was reaching out and trying to grasp onto something, an answer to a question she hadn’t asked yet, but she woke before she found that answer, or even the question leading to it.

She took a deep breath and sighed before opening her eyes, smiling as she remembered the day and night before. Finally opening her eyes, Raven saw the softly snoring Apple White. Even in sleep, Apple smiled faintly, and Raven was glad she was having sweet dreams. Moving slowly, Raven sat up and stretched, then crept out of the blanket. Cedar was already gone, probably hungry for something more substantial than cocoa.

Raven tiptoed over to her side of the room, grabbing a fresh set of clothes and tiptoed to the bathroom for a quick shower. When she came out, fully dressed, hair dry and pulled into a high ponytail, Apple was stretching and yawning. She smiled sleepily at Raven. “Good morning, Apple.”

“Mm, good morning, Ray.” She stood up and yawned again. “Wait for me for breakfast?”

“Yeah, of course.” Raven dragged the comforter off the floor and draped it over Apple’s bed again. As an afterthought, she put the blanket and pillows Apple had put on her bed the night before on Apple’s bed as well, briskly putting them all in their place and smoothing the sheets. She turned off her MirrorPad, plugging it in to charge. Turning to the pillow fort, wondering if it was time to finally take it down, she saw that Apple had gotten dressed in record time and was nervously fiddling in front of her vanity. She seemed to be having a mental argument with herself. Raven frowned and turned to join her. 

Apple was twisting an eyeliner in her fingers. Her hair hung in loose curls, and she already wore the barest touch of concealer- even the fairest of them all wasn’t immune to the odd pimple or two. Tearing her eyes from her reflection, Apple gave a wry grin and waved the eyeliner at Raven. “I can’t decide if I want to wear a full face of makeup or not.”

Raven shrugged and leaned on the wall beside Apple’s vanity. “Why not?”

“I’m not sure I want to be so girly.”

“It’s not all that girly, you know. Sparrow wears eyeliner.” Apple looked a bit thoughtful at that, then shrugged and leaned into the mirror, mumbling as she gently applied the brown eyeliner- much less bold than her usual jet black. Raven couldn’t make out the mumbles. “What did you say?”

“I said, I’m not so sure what fits my personality when it comes to makeup. I was wondering if it’s habit to apply it, or if I really like wearing it.” Apple shrugged again, one shoulder bobbing as she capped the eyeliner and put it with all the rest. 

Raven offered her a hand as Apple stood up from the stool. “It doesn’t have to be decided today. Or all at once. It might just. . . come together.” Raven smiled and nudged her shoulder into Apple’s. “Either way, you look fableous.”

Apple rolled her eyes, but nodded at the full-length mirror. “We both look pretty tearrific!” 

“Speaking of, I could really go for a cup of Earl Grey. Ready?” Apple nodded, and they walked out of the dorm. 

The castleteria was usually quiet on a Sunday morning, as most fairyteens took advantage of the weekend to sleep in. Few woke as bright and early as Raven and Apple chose to; even after their spontaneous sleepover with Cedar, they had woken just past dawn. Cedar was already here, of course, sitting next to Maddie and giggling between bites of scrambled eggs. Ashlynn sat near an open window, crumbling her muffin with elegant fingers and offering it to several bluebirds perched on the seat opposite her. Apple grabbed a tray and got in line for her favorite morning treats, Raven right behind her, until they were sitting opposite Maddie and Cedar. 

Maddie was prepared for their company, two steaming cups of tea at the spots they were hexpected to sit. Apple’s nose twitched- a fruity spiced black tea for her, and Earl Grey for her girlfriend. From the creamy color of Maddie’s cup, she was enjoying her father’s special breakfast blend with a dollop of cream, and Cedar’s green tea sparkled in the sunlight. Apple had always wondered how one tea pot could produce so many different types of tea. Once, she had asked- but Maddie had chortled, tweaked her nose and told her not to be a silly-nilly. Apple assumed it was magic, of course, but a unique brand of Wonderlandian magic sure to not be replicated on an ordinary teapot. 

The narrator decided to quit rambling about tea when Maddie shot her a glare with a giggle, ample reminder that far more important things were to happen this morning than tea drinking. 

“Nothing is more important than tea drinking!” Maddie stated with a shake of her head that somebody could be so silly as to think something was more important than tea-drinking. The other girls exchanged amused shrugs, lifting tea cups and having that delightful first step. Tea may not be the most important thing in the world, but it was the perfect way to start the day. 

The day was slow to start, regardless of tea. The four sat chatting and sipping through several cups of tea as the sun burned off the fog outside. The castle woke up, more students streaming downstairs for food and to exchange stories from the night before. More people came to join Raven, Apple, Maddie, and Cedar. Some stayed for just a cup and food before leaving, but most stayed for a long chat. Nobody left the table without noticing the day’s first bit of juicy gossip- Apple White and Raven Queen were obviously an item. Only one person was crass enough to say anything outright.

“Are you story-book serious?” The screech echoed in a suddenly hushed castleteria. Heads craned to see Duchess Swan cackling with Faybelle, heads bowed with snickers before Duchess leaned back in a full throaty laugh. “That prissy princess with the next Evil Queen? My Grimm, what is she thinking?” 

Raven went cold with fury. Her heart squeezed even more as hot tears splashed onto her hand- Apple was crying, silent tears sliding over hot red cheeks. She tried to tug Raven back down on the bench, but Raven gently pushed Apple’s hand back down, shaking her head. Nobody was going to make her princess cry. Apple sank into the table, her arms making a protective pillow around her head to hide her tears. Blondie scooted closer to her and began rubbing Apple’s shaking shoulders, her cornflower blue eyes watching Raven’s progress through the castleteria.

Blondie wasn’t the only one- in fact, Apple was the only person not watching Raven Queen bear down on Duchess and Faybelle. With each step, the dark princess grew angrier, waves of her fury draping around her like a cloak. Though Raven was simply dressed in a black tee shirt and plum colored jeans, she exuded regality and power the way only a Queen could. She struggled to contain the magic that so often sparked with her anger. Faybelle was forcibly aloof to the oncoming storm, paying acute attention to her cuticles and ignoring the sudden chill the morning air had taken. Duchess, however, was matching stare for stare with Raven. She rose to her feet, arms crossed in front of her chest. 

Duchess broke the silence, looking straight at Raven as she spoke in ringing tones. “What could she be thinking? Apple White already has the perfect destiny but she decided to grovel with the dogs? And you. Are you simply trying to hitch a ride into a better ending?” She snorted, her eyes cold. Faybelle snickered into her juice. “It will take more than a few cheesy one-liners to rewrite your fate, Evil Queen-to-be. Those red-hot dancing shoes are yours to wear, once Miss Priss gets bored.”

A quiet sob broke the air and Duchess ripped her eyes from Raven to share a smirk with Faybelle. Raven’s nails dug into the tender flesh of her palms as she clenched her fists. When she spoke finally, it was not a clear tone like Duchess’s, but a low growl that raised the hair on the back of Duchess’s neck. “How dare you?” Raven took another step forward, pointing at Duchess. “How dare you try to hurt Apple? You’ve done nothing but hate her since you’ve stepped foot in this school, and for what? For being lucky? For getting an ending better than yours?” She took another step forward, her finger trembling. “And what have I done? I have it just as badly as you do, and yet you spit your vile. How dare you assume I’m dating Apple to steal her destiny! I will change my ending by changing my actions. You could change yours that way too, but instead all you try to do is steal other people’s endings instead of making your own!.” Raven snorted, her hand dropping to her hip. The anger simmered in her chest, but the fury had calmed slightly. People near her, Duchess and Faybelle included, suddenly felt as if their chests were less tight. Raven continued in a calmer voice, “I make Apple happy, and she makes me happy. Our happiness is not yours to mock, Duchess Swan. Why don’t you try, just once, to find what makes you happy instead of trying to make other people as miserable as you?” Raven shook her head, the anger dissipating almost completely as she realized how truly pathetic Duchess was. “You know what? Whatever. You can be a jerk, but at least I can choose to ignore you.”

Raven turned on her heel and walked back to her table where Maddie, Apple, Blondie and a few others had stood up. Apple looked more than ready to leave the castleteria, and all the attention. Her eyes were still puffy, and her eyeliner had smudged out of existence. Raven’s violet eyes were on Apple’s red-rimmed blue ones when she saw them widen out of fear. 

Without turning, Raven could feel Faybelle’s magic rushing towards her back. In a smooth motion, Raven turned towards the threat and scooped her hand downward and up again, as if scooping something out of the air. Faybelle’s magic stopped midair, wrapped into a ball. Flicking her fingertips, Raven sent Faybelle’s magic out the window into the ground, and immediately called up her own shimmering purple magic to wrap around Faybelle in a smooth bubble. Faybelle balled up her fists and hammered on the bubble’s thin barrier, flinching away and rubbing her hands. Raven shrugged and hurried back to her girlfriend and friends. As they nearly ran from the castleteria back to their dorm room, Raven tried to ignore the staring and her own stinging eyes. The important part now was to focus on Apple and to help her recover. Raven could try to sort out her own emotions at a later time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I missed last week! I'm trying to keep a weekly schedule, but some pretty wonderlandiful things happened last week and I ended up on the giddy train for the entire week. And once I got off the giddy train, the bus of illness flattened me.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a castleteria showdown, emotions are high and a dorm-room conference is called for.

Apple was too cold and too hot. Hot shame rose in the back of her throat, a huge lump forcing it to stay inside of her instead of being something she could just release. A deep hatred she didn’t even know she could have curled up in the center of her chest and she didn’t know how to breathe. She shook her hair off her face in defiance as she turned with the group to leave the castleteria. Apple knew she looked a wreck- she had never been a pretty crier. Her eyes were red, her cheeks blotchy, there was probably even snot somewhere in her hair. It wasn’t that she didn’t care how terrible she looked as she stomped out past dozens of staring students. Somehow, it seemed so much worse to duck her head and admit embarrassment to these gawkers. _Let them stare!_ shouted that rebellious voice in her head. _Don’t give her the satisfaction of watching you slink out._

The thought that Duchess was enjoying the effect the terrible words had caused made Apple pause at the door, looking over her shoulder. Many faces were staring unabashedly at her. Some were looking down, in guilt or respect for her little moment, she couldn’t tell. Faybelle was ducking a spell she must have tried against the bubble holding her, and Duchess…. well Duchess was simply standing. Her hands had loosely dropped to her sides, her face completely unreadable. The good part of Apple hoped that Duchess had realized that meanness did nothing to improve her own lot- the less good part of Apple hoped Raven’s words had stung beneath that feathered armor.

Turning back to the rest of the group, Apple saw that Raven’s face was too pale and her eyes were far too bright. Apple slipped her hand into Raven’s and squeezed gently. Blondie tugged Raven’s sleeve, gesturing with her head that they really needed to get out out of the entrance hall and into some privacy. Apple nodded and together, the small group of girls quickly walked up the winding stairs to Apple and Raven’s room. Maddie and Apple opened the door and ushered the others through. Blondie immediately headed to Apple’s desk chair, dropping into it as if her knees were about to give out. Cedar leaned on the edge of Raven’s bed, twisting her fingers anxiously as Ashlynn settled onto Raven’s chair. Raven herself was swept immediately into a tight hug, and the tears she had been swallowing back finally made themselves be known. The others sat in worried silence as the two most poised princesses on campus held each other.

After a few long moments, Raven pulled back, turning to her vanity to dig out tissues. She blotted her eyes and handed a few to her girlfriend, then turned to the others. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to lose control like that.” Her apology was met with shrugs and a cup of tea thrust in her face.

“I think I speak for us all when I say, it’s quite okay,” Maddie reassured Raven, passing teacups to Apple, then the others. Blondie, Ashlynn, and Cedar nodded in unison. Apple inhaled the tea and felt her mind clear as if a stiff ocean breeze was pushing the muddle right out through her ears. With a sip, her emotions had calmed too and Apple felt as if things were about to make so much more sense than they had a few seconds ago. A glance at Raven revealed the tea was having the same effect on her. Apple gave a grateful smile to Maddie who grinned and winked before saying, “What we need right now is to untangle our thoughts and knit a new sweater!”

Cedar cleared her throat. “So, uh… how do we do that?” She fidgeted. “There’s not much we can do to change Faybelle or Duchess’s minds when they’re determined to be nasty.”

Ashlynn hummed thoughtfully as she sipped, before opening the windows to let in the birds who were patiently waiting to be allowed in to comfort their favorite humans. Of all the birds, only a small sparrow chose to perch on her waiting finger. “Maybe it’s not so much about changing minds. Maybe this is a ‘rise above’ sort of situation.”

“That’s true. No path worth taking is an easy one.” Raven tickled a crow under the beak as he affectionately preened her hair. Neither girl nor crow seemed to care that the preening was making her hair look worse than it had been. “It wasn’t easy when I refused to sign the book, and we should have known being together wouldn’t be easy either.” Raven glanced at Apple, who was swirling a finger through her tea before licking it. “After all, we were both a bit hesitant to admit we liked each other.”

Blondie leaned forward in the chair. “Maybe you should do the exact opposite of what Duchess wants.” Cedar leaned forward, looking hopeful. “Just-”

Frantic knocking on the heavy wooden door interrupted Blondie’s thought and Briar tumbled in. “Oh my Grimm, I just heard, I woke up late and- are you guys okay?”  
Apple and Raven nodded, giggling at Briar’s entrance. Apple was startled to realize that she actually was okay now. This didn’t feel like a crisis anymore, just an obstacle that had really hurt when she tripped on it.

Briar yawned and stretched. “Oh good. I guess I slept through the whole thing, but it sounds like some serious drama went down.” She took a cup of tea and evaluated Apple with a semi-stern glance. When she saw that Apple truly was okay, her look softened and she shrugged before sitting cross-legged on Raven’s bed next to Cedar.

“Just Duchess being a sour swan, as per usual really.” Apple shrugged. She turned to Blondie. “You were saying?”

“Huh? Oh.” Blondie shook out her golden curls, focusing again. “Right. Duchess would just love if you cowered from her right now. You already have pissed her off by being a public couple. Just make sure that she doesn’t forget that you’re not scared off by it.”

Maddie agreed, “Face this jabberwocky head on. You don’t get to cower under your covers today.”

Raven groaned. “I wanted a quiet day in the room! Just some reading and maybe spell-studying…”

Cedar added, “And naps?” She grinned broadly.

“Oh, I’d kill for a nice long nap!” Apple grinned and covered a yawn behind her hand.

Blondie giggled. “If you do, she’ll think she scared you right back into the closet.” Her grin grew a bit wider. “If you really want to spite her, you should join my mirrorcast.”

Raven held up her hands as a silent “halt”. “No way. It’s been a long day and it’s not even noon. I don’t think I’m quite up to ….press.”

“Me neither, Blondie. But I promise, we will do an interview or something, if you want.”

The savvy reporter waved her hand, brushing off the suggestion. “It’s fine, something else even more scintillating is sure to pop up soon.”

“So… if everything’s calmed down, is it okay if I go back to my room? Hunter and I have a lunch date, and I still haven’t done my hair.” Ashlynn gently set her tea cup on the windowsill and brushed off her skirt. Waving goodbye to the others, she set off to get fairest. Now that the deepest drama had been waded, Cedar and Blondie took their leave as well.

Maddie bounced up from the floor and began to gather teacups, stacking them into her hat. Briar watched her for a second, then turned to the others. “So, since you’ll probably be out and about today, how about helping me with some Kingdom Management homework?”

As they arranged their plans, a suddenly energetic Apple White began to wonder if this is what kingdom management was really going to mean for her. Was hers a future of balancing politics and emotions with shows of strength? Would she always have to her crown against those determined to judge her personal life? In several classes, it was warned that love life was an easy target for an enemy to pick at, but that had seemed to simple in the past. She was going to inherit a kingdom with a prince and True Love already by her side, an impeccable shield of goodness that could withstand any gossip.

But if Apple decided princesses and not prince Charmings were more her thing, then her love life would be one huge, heart-shaped and candy-apple red target.  
Raven caught her eyes and smiled warmly, making Apple’s heart flip over and fizz with glorious butterflies. If this is what would come from choosing princesses, then it was entirely worth it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a beautiful day even after the misery of the morning, and our Royal and Rebel pair decide to enjoy it.

Sundays are a great day of the week to catch up on extra studying, and that was exactly Briar, Apple, and Raven’s plan. Briar and Apple wanted to talk about the last week’s lessons (some of which Briar might have napped through), and Raven thought it might be a great day for a little extra general studying. Even if she wasn’t a fan of her courses or the thronework, Raven wasn’t going to become a bad student. Partially, she wanted to be a good student to spite Headmaster Grimm, but most of her just liked to learn more. Of course, to be a good student and study, there needed to be a good place to study. Somehow, their enormous school and it’s many cavernous rooms were just too busy to really focus in.

The lifairy and study hall both already had a few fairyteens there already, and more gathered once Raven and Apple settled in. The picnic benches outside quickly filled too, as did the bleachers at the stadium and even the stones beside the lake. That last spot was already pretty undesirable- it was one of Duchess’s favorite haunts, and though she wasn’t there yet, there was no telling when the mean swan would show up.

They finally settled under some trees, and Apple immediately lay back on the grass and stared at the sky. She let out a long, loud sigh of frustration. She heard some rustling as Raven scooted towards her on the grass. “Is everything alright, princess?’

Apple rolled her eyes and sighed, albeit a more amused one. “This is ridiculous. This is so ridiculous.”

“I know, but if this is going to put a bug up Duchess’s feathers, maybe it’s worth it.” Raven was flipping through the book she brought with her. When leaving their dorm, she had been full of bright intentions of studying while Briar and Apple reviewed their kingdom management notes. During their review session in the lifairy, she had her book open in front of her and was trying to read it. Instead, she spent their review session enthralled with the other princesses’ work. Raven wasn’t expected to rule a kingdom, just destroy one, and so her request to join that class was repeatedly turned down. It turned out to be even more interesting than she had expected. It didn’t take long for her to be asking questions too, a fact that thrilled Apple and amused Briar.

It seemed to confuse the gathering crowd in the lifairy, too. Of course, the crowd of teens all just so happened to be studying. It was coincidence they were studying in a 20 foot diameter of the new couple. It was happenstance that whispers kept breaking out every time the couple smiled at each other and just because everybody took pictures with their iMirror at the same time didn’t mean they did it because Apple had kissed Raven’s nose. After that little incidence, Briar waved goodbye and fled, and Apple and Raven began their search for a quieter place to study.

It really should have been predictable, but somehow, it took Raven completely by surprise. Breakfast had been so nice and casual. It was natural to drink tea and play with Apple’s fingers while holding hands, to kiss her fingertips and have her own cheek smooched. The morning felt like habit already, and though she had noticed other students paying attention to them, it was easy to ignore. Raven had simply assumed that the others had noticed the flirting Rebel and Royal pair, then promptly shrugged and went on their way. Duchess’s uproar was simply a flub. Nobody else really cared who she dated, right?

Apparently, wrong. Raven was expected to break tradition and had a sneaky feeling that if she had dated any other girl in the school, it would go about with minimal notice. Rebels are meant to rebel, after all. Grimm would probably take it as personal accomplishment. This uproar was not about Raven at all.

This was about Apple. Her beautiful Apple, watching the leaves move against each other, was the one people couldn’t stop focusing on. She was the model princess all other girls, even rebel girls, aspired to. Raven leaned her back against the tree. Overnight, Apple went from a girly doll in ribbons and lace who wanted nothing more than to be rescued by a prince to a dressed-for-comfort lesbian. There was no girl in the entire kingdom Apple White could date without people caring. There was no clothing she could wear quietly except for the ribbons and lace and hour-long makeup routine. She was Apple White and was required to behave a certain way, and now that she had bucked the system- well, Raven was ready to bet that a few nosy kids was going to be the least of their problems.

Raven sighed. It had seemed so easy yesterday. A few words in a pillow fort, than shopping and kisses and so much more magic than contained in the book at her side. Reality set in at breakfast like a storm, heavy in the air with lightning that had caught in Raven’s chest and stung.

“Hey.” Apple was sitting up and looking at Raven in concern. She caressed Raven’s cheek, smiling as Raven nuzzled her hand. “Ray, what’s wrong? You look so sad.”

“Just thinking.” Raven took the offered hand and kissed Apple’s palm. “It’s been a really weird weekend. I want to go back to the nice bits.”

“Yeah, me too.” She scowled over her shoulder. The three little pigs were playing frisbee and kept getting closer with every toss. They were the most enthusiastic of their new audience. “This will wear off.”

“You think?” Raven looked doubtful.

“It’s like Blondie said. We’re not going to be the biggest story for very long. Something more interesting will pop along in a couple of days.” Apple tucked a stray lock of purple hair behind Raven’s ear. She wiggled closer to Raven, leaning into her girlfriend’s shoulder. “I wish we could have stayed in our room. I feel so wound up I could pop.”

“There’s gotta be a way for you to let that out.” Apple raised her eyebrows in response and casually waved a hand towards their surroundings. The pigs weren’t the only fairytales casually getting closer to their tree. Some students were even openly snapping pictures. “Okay, so maybe not.” Raven hummed under her breath, thinking. As she thought, she ran her fingers through Apple’s golden hair. It was soothing, a comfort to them both. Raven felt a bit more weight against her shoulder as Apple fell asleep. She smiled and closed her eyes herself, winding and unwinding silken strands around her fingers.

*****

Apple was comfortable and somebody was trying to wake her up. She frowned, nuzzling further into her pillow. She heard an embarrassed laugh and sat bolt upright, cheeks flushed. Her pillow was Raven and the laughter was coming from Dexter. Apple brushed her hair behind her ear, trying to recover some composure. It was hard to do when there were leaves in her hair. Dexter was very politely trying to hide the laughter behind his hand, but it wasn’t working very well.

“What’s up?” Apple asked as quietly as she could. She certainly didn’t want to wake Raven, who must be just as exhausted as she was.

Dexter kept his tone as quiet as hers. “Daring wanted me to give this to you.”

Dread settled in Apple’s stomach. Oh, Grimm. Daring. How could she forget? She tried to squish the panic down as she replied with a graceful smile, “What’s that?”

It must have been more of a graceless grimace because Dexter was fighting the giggles again. He handed over a letter, then sat from his kneeling position. “He was rushing to get to bookball practice, or he would have come himself.”

“Uh, do you know what it’s about?”

Dexter shrugged. “Not really.”

Apple took a deep breath and slid open the envelope. It was wax-sealed, of course. Most students passed paper notes folded in half, or origami if they were feeling fancy. Daring had several different colors of wax, including two with shimmer inside for extra glam. He refused to call it glitter, but he did like the effect. His seal was personally made, a shield with a “D” on it, a sword behind that an a crown on top of the whole thing. Apple knew the only reason he had settled on such a simple design is because the sealmaker outright refused to make a tiny portrait of Daring. Apple noted that the wax for today’s letter was a cheerful and shimmery gold before she slid out the note itself.

“Dearest Maiden,” began the letter in flowing blue script, “I trust this finds you in good health. Though I was kept from breakfast due to the villain that is a broken alarm clock-”

“Oh that’s such poppycock, he’s the one who broke it!” Interrupted Dexter. He blushed when Apple raised her eyebrow. “Well, he did,” protested Dexter. She rolled her eyes and kept reading.

“Where was- Oh! ‘I have heard that thou have fallen for thy own villain, and though I don’t understand why, I will respect thou choices. Confusing though they may be. If thy should decide-”

“That was possessive! Does he even-” Dexter’s sputtering came to a halt as Apple gave him an exasperated look and pointed to Raven, who was still asleep. He held up his hands, then mimed zipping his mouth shut.

“‘If thy should decide to return to me at some date to be my damsel, I will gladly rescue you, and if thy should choose thou own path, then I shall remain thy friend and no more. With deepest affections, Daring.’ Well that was actually quite nice of him- what’s this?” A paper had slid from behind the note and landed in her lap. Unfolding it, she found a full color 8” by 10” headshot of Daring, signed with “So you know what you’re missing out on.” Apple shoved the picture at Dexter and clasped her hands to her mouth, trying to hold in the gales of laughter. Instead of calming the giggles, the action reduced her laughter to un-princesslike snorting. Dexter had fallen backward on the grass, holding his sides as he howled with laughter, not even trying to keep it down.

“Huh? Wha-What’s going on?” Raven blinked slowly, trying to take it all in with a sleep-addled mind. Apple grabbed the letter and picture, shoving it at Raven. Raven blinked a few times, trying to get sleepy eyes to focus on the words. She read the letter, brows knit in confusion, then glanced at the picture. “Oh. My. Grim.” Raven broke into laughter, tossing it at Dexter. “Tell your brother I’m gonna be his villain next for making me look at that!”

Dexter shuddered, agreeing, “I’ll join you, that was just cruel!” They all calmed down into the occasional snicker. “Oh, also I figured you guys hadn’t dared to get lunch today, so I grabbed some snacks. When Ginger heard I was taking it to you, she threw in a few things.” Raven took a peek into the picnic basket he offered. On top were a few muffins and apples. As she gently moved them to the side, Raven found two sandwiches and two bottles of water. “It’s not fancy, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt.”

Apple was already taking a bite into her muffin, passing one to Dexter. “You know, if I wasn’t pretty much sworn off princes, I’d say you were my prince in shining armor right now.” Dexter laughed and Apple caught the flicker of wist in his eyes. Was it because he was the forgotten Charming brother or- _Raven_. Apple felt like an idiot. His massive crush on her had slipped her mind, and her she was laying claims on the girl he loved. It was a situation she had no idea how to handle. There was no etiquette lesson for stealing someone’s girl.

Raven was digging into the sandwich, and a few seconds passed as all chewed. Dexter finished his muffin and stood. “Well, I won’t bother you ladies any longer-”

Raven tugged him down by his shirt sleeve. “You’re not bothering us. We’d like the company.” Apple nodded. “Anyway, I haven’t talked to you in a while.”

Dexter looked skeptical, running hand through his short hair. “Are you sure?”

Raven tugged again. “Sit!”

“Oh fine.” Dexter grinned and sat clumsily. “So, uh. I wasn’t sure if the rumors were true so I asked Cedar.”

Apple raised her eyebrows slightly. “Poor girl, I bet a lot of people are asking her right now.”

Dexter shrugged. “The true curse isn’t not being able to lie- it’s not being able to lie in a giant gossip mill like our school.” The girls giggled.

Raven sipped her water. “Poor thing. We kinda threw her under the bus.” Apple looked guilty and shook her head when Raven sent a questioning look.

“So, uh, how are you guys holding up, then?”

The new couple exchanged a look. “I guess it’s not so bad, really,” mused Apple.

“I’m waiting for the real storm to hit tomorrow.” At Dexter and Apple’s startled looks, she explained, “By then, our parents might find out.” Apple’s eyes widened and her face went even snowier than usual. Dexter winced in sympathy. Raven rubbed Apple’s back gently. “We’ll be okay through it.”

“You think?” Apple’s quivering lip didn’t seem so sure.

“I do.” She jokingly elbowed Apple. “Don’t worry, if it gets too bad, I’ll just poison you and wake you up when they get over it.” In spite of herself Apple laughed, and Dexter snorted.

Dexter looked a bit rueful as he rubbed his hand over his hair again. “You know, I can’t believe I didn’t see this before. You guys were really obvious, in retrospect.”

Raven blinked. “Huh?”

“When I found out earlier, it just all sort of clicked. Neither of you ever swooned or even glanced at guys. You-” Dexter pointed at Apple, who looked befuddled, “-cared so much about what Raven thought about you that you chased her down and made her your roommate. And you-” he swung the finger to Raven, who just raised an eyebrow- “Could literally never stop talking about Apple. Ever. I thought it was because you were frenemies or whatever, but it makes sense now.” He grinned widely. “Also, I mean the hand holding. Seriously, I know girls hold hands and such, but you guys stretch the limits of straight-girl hand holding.” Apple and Raven blushed and looked down at their hands, interlocked once again.

“I guess it does sorta make sense, huh?” Raven paused, then reached out to put her hand on Dexter’s. “I’m sorry if I ever led you on.”

“You know, I don’t think you really did. I just hoped a lot.” Dexter shrugged. “This is better, for all of us.”

Apple frowned, looking down. “So, you’re not mad at me?”

“No more than I would be mad at a dragon for flaming. We’re made to do what we do.” Dexter stood up. “Speaking of doing what we do, I need to go work on the school site again. A hex got into it and has it all messed up.” The girls waved at Dexter and turned to each other.

“Well, that was certainly illuminating.” Raven took a bite of an apple.

“I’m just glad he’s not mad at me. Did you notice how wistful he looked?”

“No, what do you mean?”

Apple finger combed leaves out of her hair. “There would be moments when he’d look at you and just look so wistful. For all that he says this is better, he still has it bad for you.” She frowned, toying with a leaf that had been tucked in her golden curls. “I feel awful.”

Raven took the hand with a leaf in it and kissed Apple’s palm. Apple tickled Raven’s nose with the leaf and giggled. Raven wrinkled her nose. “It’s not your fault, sweetie. I had fallen for you long before yesterday. Poor Dexter never had a chance and I guess I was too confused to know how to tell him that.” She nuzzled into Apple’s shoulder. “I guess in the end, it’s all worked out for the best. He’s a good guy. He’ll find someone who loves him back.”

Apple nodded thoughtfully, then changed the subject. “I’ve been wondering- you’ve carried that book all day and never really seemed to study it. What is it?”  
“Oh, just a spell book. Smaller spells, mostly. I’m good with magic when I’m having a strong emotion, like this morning-” Raven cringed, then shook the memory out of her head before continuing, “-But I’m not very good at actually controlling it when I’m calm. I want to be a good witch all the way around, not just when I’m scared or angry.”

Apple’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “But I thought you didn’t want to follow your mother’s path. What happened to choosing your own destiny?”

Raven sighed, shaking her head as if trying to rearrange the crowded thoughts into organized lines. “I still do want to change my story. I don’t want to hurt you, ever. I don’t think I ever could.” She paused, fiddling with some grass. Apple slid her hands under Raven’s and squeezed in reassurance. Raven’s voice was steadier as she went on. “I don’t want this power to just jump out at random. I don’t want to only know how to use it when I’m upset. I want to be a good witch. I want to have the ability and skill and to be able to use it exactly when I want, and how I want.”

“If you weren’t going to use your power for evil, what would you do with it?”

“I’m not sure. I want to make people happy. Maybe I could learn to protect people instead of destroy them.”

Apple’s thumb rubbed circles on Raven’s hand. “I think you’d be great at that. If you put your mind to something, you’re sure to succeed.”

“You think?”

“I know.”

Raven cupped Apple’s chin and cheek in her hand, gently caressing before softly kissing her. Apple played with a lock of black hair, melting into the languid kiss. Raven’s tension melted out of her with the touch Apple’s lips. The uncertainty of her future disappeared and was replaced with the exhilaration. Every kiss was a realization. A realization of a dream she had harbored for so long; A realization that perhaps the future could be truly wonderful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dexter is entirely correct- Daring is abusing thy, thou, and thine. Don't follow his terrible example, and make sure you look up proper grammatical usage if you have any doubt. Also it's really douchey to use anymore, even in poetry. Daring is just too flowery for his own good.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lazy Sunday afternoon continues, and gets less lazy when Apple gets an idea.

Apple stretched her arms out and stood up, reaching out for Raven’s hand. “Can we go back to our room? I’m still a little drowsy.”

Raven took her hand and stood up, frowning. “I thought we were going to show Duchess and Faybelle we weren’t afraid of them.”

Apple shrugged, shaking her hair off her shoulder. “I’m sure they get the point. I have better things to do.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

Apple shrugged, turning that bright smile to her girlfriend. “I want to do some research.”

A few minutes later, Raven was stretched out on Apple’s bed with her spell book, watching Apple putter around their room with books. She had been humming thoughtfully, pacing between her bookshelves and Raven’s, grabbing a few selections and then putting them back. She glanced around the room and saw Raven watching, her book closed with a finger marking the spot. 

“What?”

“Nothing. Just wondering what you’re researching.”

“Oh! I just had an idea.” Apple turned away from the conversation and flipped through a thick book with cracked binding. She realized Raven was waiting for her to finish the sentence. “It may not even be anything. But, I wonder if maybe…” Apple trailed off, reading in the book. 

“Maybe what?” Raven prompted. 

“Oh! Uh, maybe there’s more to destiny then what we’ve expected.” Raven frowned. That did not sound like her Apple. Her Apple firmly believed they all had their endings and had to stick to the plot. Apple hummed quietly as she kept reading, then realized that Raven was frowning at her. Apple gently closed the book and dusted it before putting it on Raven’s bed. “I used to think destiny was easy. We were told what to be and we followed that, and we all knew what would happen. But you’re not evil. You don’t fit your story. Nearly everybody else does to a certain extent, but the closest to evil you’ve got is your hair.” Apple took a step closer and wrapped a lock of that dark violet hair around her finger, letting it slide off her finger. “You look evil, but you don’t have a drop of bad in you. It’s kinda weird.”

Raven tilted her head to the side. “Aaand now I’m more confused.” 

Apple giggled and sat on the bed. “Okay so, think about it. Everybody is just like their parents. Ashlynn has the shoe thing, Briar can’t stay awake, Blondie is a perfectionist, Faybelle can’t wait to be evil, Maddie is just as bonkers as her dad. But you are nothing like your mother. At all. So, what gives?”

“And you think research is going to, what, explain what exactly gives?” Raven had rolled on her back and looked up at Apple. 

“No, I think research is going to tell me if anybody else has ever been like you and been pulled the opposite path of their assigned story.”

Raven sat up abruptly, interested. “So, you think I’m in the wrong story?”

Apple shrugged, frowning a bit. “Maybe? I think it’s possible that we all thought you were supposed to specifically be my Evil Queen, but you’re supposed to fill a generic witch role.”

“Like how Darling and Dexter will fill generic prince or princess roles,” Raven clarified. Apple nodded. “Has that ever happened? Someone miscast?”

“I have no idea, but I’m going to find out.” Apple leaned her forehead to Raven’s. “I know destiny isn’t your thing, but I want to know if there could be another possibility.”

Raven nuzzled Apple’s nose with her own. “So you don’t think I’ll turn evil?”

“Of course not. If you were going to be evil, it would have shown up by now, right?” Raven nodded, still frowning in worry. “Ray, are you okay?”

Raven shrugged, turning her face away. Using her two forefingers, Apple gently turned Raven’s face towards her again. To her surprise, Raven’s eyes were tearing up. Raven sighed and pulled away, wiping her face.

“I’m sorry. It’s a nightmare I have sometimes.”

“That you turn evil?”

Raven nodded slowly. “That I become evil and hurt you. That I don’t just put you to sleep, but that I become worse than my mom.” She buried her face in Apple’s shoulder. “It’s scary, feeling that a flip of a switch will make me want to murder my best friends, and my girlfriend. “

Apple cradled Raven to her chest, stroking her hair. “It won’t, darling. It’s going to be okay. You’ll never hurt anybody. You could never be evil.”

“You can’t promise that,” Raven muttered, her voice muffled by the fabric of Apple’s shirt. Apple pulled away, tapping the tip of Raven’s nose with one finger.

“Yes, I can. I will never let evil catch you, never. If anybody tries to force you to be evil, they’ll have me to deal with.” The steel in Apple’s eyes made Raven feel a bit stronger herself. She could tell that Apple really was willing to fight to keep her good. Apple’s voice softened and she grinned playfully at Raven. “And if you try to be evil on your own, I’ll bop you with a rolled up newspaper.”

Raven grinned back and nestled her head into the pile of soft curls. “If I’ve got you watching my back, then I’m pretty safe, huh?”

Apple nodded smartly. “Extremely safe.” She smiled brightly and bobbed on her heels. “A bit of optimism goes a long way, beautiful. And I’m basically the queen of optimism.”

Raven giggled. “I’m definitely in good hands then.” She blushed, realizing something. “Huh. Wow.”

“Wow what?” Apple sent a questioning look as she blew dust off of a book. 

Raven’s blush deepened as she cleared her throat. “You’ve never called me beautiful before.”

Apple stopped busily arranging the book piles and straightened suddenly. “I haven’t?” Raven shook her head. Apple came closer and wrapped her arms around the dark princess. “Well, you are. There’s a lot more where that came from.” She kissed Raven’s nose lightly with a kiss and giggled. The giggle turned to a yelp as Raven mischievously tickled Apple’s sides, and Apple gently whacked Raven on the arm, pretending to scowl. 

The bit of goofiness set the tone for the remainder of their afternoon. Book work mixed with casual flirting and small kisses, making the massive task seem much more rewarding than it would have been otherwise. It didn’t hurt that this project was more interesting than homework was- after all, they had a mission and an idea to prove and that was very motivating. If Apple and Raven could prove that fairy tales had been miscast before, it would be a plot twist the world had never seen before.

As the day wore on, however, it seemed clear that this was going to take much longer than one or two days. Raven flicked another book closed with a small thud and leaned back, rubbing her temples. The small print, archaic spellings, and large words had combined to give her a massive headache. 

Apple wasn’t looking much better, her pretty face furrowed in concentration as one nail pointed at the words in turn. She had been taking notes and Raven took a peek over her girlfriend’s shoulder. Half the noted things had been hastily scratched out- dead ends, Raven presumed. Raven gently took the notes and slid them where Apple had been reading, closing the tome. Apple turned to scowl.

“I wasn’t done!”

“Sweetie, it’s time for dinner. And anyway, I’m getting a headache. Aren’t you?”

“But this is important.” Though Apple protested, she took Raven’s offered hand and stood up, wincing as stiff joints moved. 

“Food is more important. C’mon, let’s see what there is to eat in the castleteria.” Raven opened the door and saw Apple hesitating. “What’s wrong?”

Apple sighed. “What if it’s like breakfast?”

“Then we hold our heads high and handle ourselves with all the dignity of two future queens.” Raven lifted her chin high and sniffed haughtily for effect. They both broke into giggles before she continued, “Seriously, if Duchess tries to start things again, just ignore her. Her opinion means nothing at the end of the story.”

Apple nodded slowly, taking a few steps to meet Raven at the door, then nodded more confidently. “That’s right. We know we’re happy, and our friends know we’re happy, so what’s one or two naysayers?” Raven nodded back, grinning wide at her Apple as she locked the door to their dorm room. Hand in hand, the princesses made their way to the castleteria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are going to be a lot more sparse for the next couple of weeks! So check back every couple of weeks if you're still interested in reading what happens next.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday evening begins to wind down with good tea, good treats, and great friends.

Apple had expected the drama from the morning to reignite, but dinner passed with relative calm. Her shoulders remained tense throughout the evening meal, even as Raven gently rubbed her back. Duchess and Faybelle were eating with a few of their cronies on the opposite side of the castleteria, and aside from a few snickers directed towards the Royal and Rebel couple, no comment was made. Apple’s pretty brow furrowed. This wasn’t like either of them. 

It felt like the silence before the storm, and Apple couldn’t repress a shiver at the thought. Thought Apple had known that her and Raven’s relationship wasn’t going to go unnoticed, she was still terrified. She had hoped that anticipating the backlash would calm her feelings about it, but she couldn’t shake the dread. There were so many people who would be so against this- everything about their relationship went against what fairytales were supposed to stand for. What she, as a princess, was supposed to stand for. She sighed, feeling as if cement was pouring into her veins with the action. 

Raven nudged her, a worried frown on the dark princess’s face. Apple shook off her thoughts and smiled as brightly as she could, kissing Raven on the cheek. Raven didn’t look entirely reassured, but smiled nonetheless. Apple slid her hand under Raven’s, giving a reassuring squeeze.

As soon as the meal was over, Apple, Raven, and Maddie wandered back up to Raven and Apple’s room. At some point in the semester, Maddie and Raven had taken to spending Sunday evenings in the dorm room, sharing tea and chatter. Apple soon took up their invitation to join them, and somehow, it had become a popular activity for many people. Maddie never seemed to run out of tea, and Raven and Apple never minded the company as girls came in and out.

Apple propped their door open with one of Raven’s heavy, sparkly crystals before joining Raven on her bed. Maddie was comfortably cross-legged on the window sill, and already pouring out a few cups and passing them around to the others.

“So what were you up to, Maddie? I haven’t seen much of you today.”

“Oh! Well, after breakfast I went to tea with Dad!” She giggled, taking another sip. “We exchanged our favorite riddles of the week, and made a few wonderful treats.”

“That sounds like a great day!” Maddie nodded and giggled before pouring a fourth cup of tea.

“Maddie, who is that for?”

“Cedar, of course.” Apple send a questioning look to Raven, who shrugged.

Cedar leaned in to peek through the open door. “Can I come in?”

“Oh! Of course you may.” Apple waved a welcoming hand to Cedar, who still looked a bit tense. She took as steaming cup from Maddie and hummed in pleasure, cradling the warm cup in her hands. “How was your day?”

“I took a nap, and worked on homework.” Cedar paused, looking down at her cup. Her tea reminded her of perfectly mixed varnish, clear and bright like a shining brown jewel. It tasted a bit like varnish too- strong and musky, with light spices for some bite. “It feels like an eternity since breakfast.”

“Apple shook her head slowly before taking another sip. “Yeah, it does. Things… certainly moved fast.”

“About more than the weekend, huh?” Maddie looked at the three confused girls before using her spoon to point at Apple and Raven. “You two were simply friends yesterday morning.” 

Raven blinked, thinking. “Wow, it really has only been two days, huh?” She leaned her head on Apple’s shoulder. “Well, at least it’s been a really good two days.” Apple giggled and Cedar rolled her eyes. 

“Hey Maddie, do you have any of that wake up tea?” Briar yawned as she strolled into the room and flopped onto Apple’s plush carpet. “I’m dead tired.”

“‘Hello, Apple, my best friend ever after, you look simply radiant,’” Apple mimicked Briar and continued her imagined conversation. “Why Briar, you’re so sweet! And may I add, you’re as pretty as a rose? ‘Of course Apple, now let me tell you about my day in great det-’” Apple was interrupted with a lightly tossed pillow.   
“Seriously, anything fun happen?”

“I mostly read and worked on the plans for next week’s party. It’s gonna be epic.” Briar sat up, her eyes brighter. “See, we’re going to set it up in a clearing Cerise knows of, and Melody says she can totally rig a speaker system! And Dexter is gonna do this thing with the lights so it looks all cool and twinkly to the music.” 

Apple nodded, leaning in closer. She began to ask more about the plans and offering ideas. Maddie listened for a few seconds before asking Cedar about homework answers, and Raven stood up to wave in Lizzie and Ginger. The gathering grew as the minutes went on. Daring doubled the size when he came to congratulate Apple in person, as his fan girls followed and fawned before talking with others. Maddie poured tea as she talked, passing out cup after cup. The steam and scents from the different tea cups mixed in the air and created a pleasant perfume, and students filled every space in the large room just as laughter and chatter filled the air. Raven felt herself relax and sighed in relief. She even stopped watching the door for Duchess to come strolling in, and simply focused on the streams of conversation flowing around her. 

People wandered out as they had wandered in, until just a few Apple, Maddie, Raven, Kitty, Cerise, and Justine were left. Covering a yawn with her hand and waving with the other, Kitty headed back to hers and Maddie’s room. Justine followed her with a wave and a smile. Cerise looked out the window to see the full moon. “I think perhaps I’d like a nice evening walk,” she winked at Raven and vaulted out the window. Apple gasped and look down to see Cerise land on all fours, straighten, and wave at her audience. Raven watched for a few seconds as Cerise bounded for the forest, and smiled when she heard the joyous howl as Cerise’s dark form disappeared in the shadows of the forest. 

“Well, I think it’s high tea-time I go to bed,” chirped Maddie. “It’s later than usual.” 

Raven glanced at the clock and gasped. “How did it get so late? It’s almost eleven.”

“Good company and good tea passes the time quickly,” noted Apple. “And we certainly had the best of both.” She hugged Maddie and smiled as Raven hugged her too. Maddie left, moving the crystal so the door could close behind her, and Raven replaced it on her desk. Apple straightened a few chairs, then noted the appearance of the room. Even with all their guests throughout the night, the room remained just as spick and span as it had been at the beginning of the evening.

Raven stretched her arms wide and draped them over Apple’s shoulders, letting her head droop onto Apple’s shoulder. “Oh come on, you’re not that tired.”

“Yes, I am, and I have found the most comfortable pillow.” Apple giggled and kissed the top of Raven’s head. Raven stood up and kisses Apple’s nose. “Ready for bed, Apple pie?”

Apple yawned widely. “Yeah, I just need to get ready.” She turned to the bathroom, leaving the door open as she brushed her hair out and washed her face. “Do you think it’s really going to be hard tomorrow? Back at school together?”

Raven shrugged over her shoulder before she took off her shirt, back to Apple. Apple blushed and immediately focused on thoroughly rinsing her face with water. When she dared to peek again, Raven had finished changing into her pajamas. 

“I’m not sure. I guess it depends on who finds out. Though it’s going to be fairy… interesting when our parents are clued in,” Raven answered matter-of-factly. Apple winced and her hair brush caught on a knot. She tossed the hairbrush into the corner of the room, where it clattered. Raven’s eyebrows rose in shock- Apple White was not known for displays of temper. 

Apple didn’t notice Raven’s shock, instead focused on finding her own pajamas. She yanked off her clothes and yanked on the mirror-printed pjs, sighing in frustration again as her hair snagged on a button. Raven turned away politely, brushing out her hair and listening to the sighing. At another clatter, Raven turned back around. Apple was pulling her silky golden locks roughly up into a ponytail. 

“Is… is this about tomorrow?”

“What? Oh, no.” Apple finished wrestling with her hair and leaned back in her vanity chair. “It’s just tangling. My hair is such a pain.” Raven rose her eyebrows, clearly dubious. Apple bit her lip. “And maybe a little about tomorrow. I’m nervous.”

Raven closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around Apple and holding her tight. Pulling a bit away, she kissed both of Apple’s closed eyes before softly laying a kiss on her lips. “I promise, at the end of the story, all of these plot twists are going to be worth it.”

“You really think so?” 

“Of course I do. I promised didn’t I?” Apple smiled and rested her head in the crook of Raven’s neck, her ear close enough to Raven’s chest to hear the steady thump of her heartbeat. 

As she slid under her covers and rested her head on her pillow instead, Apple was still thinking about that soothing sound. If her Raven felt that it was all going to be okay, then of course it would be. She didn’t trust her mom, or Headmaster Grimm, or whatever Duchess and Faybelle were up to… but she trusted Raven Queen, with all of her heart. 

Apple’s dreams were sweeter than her namesake that night, an image of a happily ever after with no curse or evil, just happiness, blue skies and apple-red kites.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's not very long, and about the time in between updates! Even without doing it on a schedule, I had hoped I'd be able to update more often than this. >.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first day back at school since Apple and Raven confessed their feelings... and now their relationship has been brought to the Headmasters' attention.

The morning passed so seamlessly, Apple wasn’t sure if it was reality or an optimistic dream. The only change between that day and any other day was that she got to hold Raven’s hand between classes instead of walking beside her and yearning to. Just the little show of affection made her shine with joy. The enthusiasm rolled off of Apple in infectious waves, and with every bounce of every golden curl, most of the school seemed to be catching her good mood. Raven was flooded with happiness as well, coming as close to bouncing as she ever did, a dreamy plum-painted smile ever present on her lips, and most of the other students weren’t sure what to make of it.

Soon the morning had passed, and Apple couldn’t help but to smile a little brighter. She had thought at some point her bubble of bliss would pop, that everything good would crash down. She knew Headmaster Grimm, she knew her mother, and she knew that neither of them would take this plot twist all too well. But by noon, Apple was beginning to wonder if the unbelievable had happened, and both had decided to just leave Apple and Raven to handle their own lives. After all, she mused as she gathered her lunch, we’re teenagers. They probably just don’t want to get involved in the love lives of a bunch of teenagers. She caught glance of Daring’s mob of girls and giggled. Well, if they were going to try to micromanage high schooler’s love lives, then they’d have a series of troubles just with him. 

Apple felt a gentle pressure on her shoulder and turned to Raven. Raven lifted her hand from Apple’s shoulder to gesture to the castleteria stairs- Headmaster Grimm was standing at the top of them, his hands behinds his back and chest as fluffed as possible, staring directly at them. Apple swallowed her bite of food. Apparently, her optimism had been misplaced. 

“Raven Queen, Apple White, will you follow me. At once.” He turned and strode off without even glancing to see if they moved to follow. 

Apple turned to Raven, who sighed. “I guess we knew this was coming.” Apple nodded mutely. 

“Well, if you guys want, we can always build you a cabin in the woods. It’s not too late.” Cedar grinned half-heartedly, not sure if her attempt t brighten their moods worked. 

“Or you can always just go hang out at Wonderland!” Maddie giggled. “What could be worse, Milton Grimm or Lizzie’s mom?” 

Raven chuckled a little at that and reached for Apple’s hand. Slowly they got up and walked to the headmaster’s office. Apple squeezed Raven’s hand and was flooded with reassurance when Raven squeezed back. They pushed back the heavy wooden drawer to reveal two Grimm headmasters, a mirror, three dwarves and Snow White. After a second, the mirror’s image revealed the Evil Queen. “Finally, they join us.” Milton Grimm was less than amused. “Do you understand why I brought you here?” He raised an eyebrow at their hands, still tightly clasped together. 

Raven cleared her throat. “I’m guessing it’s because we’re dating now?”

“Yes, yes, it is. Most improper.” 

“Actually, i don’t entirely agree on that issue,” Miles added. “This isn’t a question of morality, but of practicality. Your relationship simply causes a few snags we all need to address.”

“Uh, if that’s all, then why-”

“Am I here?” Apple’s mother interrupted her daughter. “Sweetie, I’m here to help you get right on the back path. We don’t want you to risk your entire future, now do we? Or the future of our kingdom.” Milton nodded self-righteously at her words. 

Apple straightened her shoulders. “Why do you think this is the wrong path, Mom? What have I done wrong?”

“Apple pie, you are holding hands with the future evil queen.” Her mother’s matter of fact tone made Apple wince, and she clung tighter to Raven’s hand. “Not to mention those dreadful clothes. In less than a weekend, you’ve completely changed who you are, and who you’re meant to be!” Snow White leaned forward in her stiff wooden chair. “Darling, you are no two bit player! Your decisions have consequences and you are too young to know what you’re doing here. You might think this is innocent fun, but you need to care about more than fun.”

Milton cleared his throat and added, “Apple, you represent the ideals of an entire land. You were beloved by everybody, and these risky decisions might cause unrest.”

“I don’t make ‘risky decisions’. I make the ones that make me happy.” Apple felt her eyes burn hot and squeezed Raven's hand to stop tears from spilling. Raven stepped closer to the smaller princess, gently squeezing in response to Apple's deathgrip on her hand.

Miles stepped forward, placing his hand gently on Apple’s shoulder. “I don’t think my brother really believes our land will be thrown into discord over a date, girls-” behind him, Milton Grimm scoffed. Miles continued, “-it’s just that we’re a nation of long held traditions. This sort of plot twist goes against everything anybody is used to. There’s going to be some unsavory reactions, for a number of reasons, and you’re going to have to be prepared for that.”

“Y’know, I’m starting to get an idea of that already.” Raven sighed. “Mother, do you have anything you want to say?”

“Actually, I don’t really care either way. As much as I’d like to think this is the first step in you corrupting her and beginning your story line, it seems to me this is much more of a ‘first love’ sort of thing.” The Evil Queen snapped her fingers and brought up a purple flame. “However- Apple White, be sure if you break my little bird’s heart-”

“OH MY GRIMM, Mom, STOP.” Raven hid her blush behind a hand and tried to duck behind her shorter, blonder companion.

“Don’t worry, ma’am, I’ll keep her heart safe and sound.”

The dark queen let her flame die with a soft “hm” and looked thoughtful. The other adults seemed just as taken aback. 

“Ah- well, if you’re sure of this-” Miles broke the silence. “-then we have some other things to discuss.”

“Like?” Apple set her hand on her hip.

“You two are roommates, yes?” Milton Grimm picked up where his brother had left off. The princesses exchanged a startled glance. “It seems most inappropriate for you two to be roommates and romantic partners.” Raven felt her mouth drop open. Did Headmaster Grimm just imply what she thought he did? 

“Are you serious?” Raven couldn’t help blurting out. “You’re telling us to move out?”

Miles looked a bit uncomfortable. “We’d never allow any other student to live with their romantic interest-”

“It could raise questions, you see.” All of the adults nodded at Snow White’s words.

“Oh, you mean the way there’s so many questions about Daring and all of his many girlfriends?” Apple crossed her arms across her chest. “If you’re going to start dabbling in everybody’s relationships, start there. You can’t possibly tell me he’s never been unsupervised with any of them.”

Milton’s cheeks were beetroot red, and Apple couldn’t tell if it was with anger or embarrassment. “That’s beside the- He is a prince, and expected to act as such. I’m sure he’s simply practicing techniques to make damsels swoon.” Both queens and both princesses snorted at that.

Miles covered a grin with his hand and took over the discussion. “If fairness is what you’re looking for, perhaps we can negotiate?” Apple gave her most princesslike nod, as Raven raised an eyebrow. “I will arrange more supervision for the other students, and you girls will agree to increased supervision yourselves.”

“Miles, we did not discuss this.” Milton Grimm’s voice had a slight rumble. His brother ignored him and continued on. 

“It would be difficult to change rooms so late in the semester, but we also cannot have you two be unaccompanied so often.” 

Raven privately thought they would have some issues finding a roommate for her as it were- only Maddie had been willing to live with a future evil queen. Even with her growing friend group, few people might want to actually room with her. Miles cleared his throat and glanced at the mirror imprisoning Raven’s mother. “Perhaps the solution is an additional roommate, of sorts.”

“How? I guess we could move things around, add another bed… but even then, who is there to live with us?” Apple’s pretty brow furrowed. 

“Well, if all of you agree, we wouldn’t have to move a thing. The Evil Queen simply must agree to keep tabs on the girls’ behaviour and report to us if they do anything improper.”

“NO. WAY.”

“Oh come on, birdy, this is a marvelous idea! We could have much more mother-daughter chats this way!” The Evil Queen suddenly was paying much more attention than she had been. 

“I thought you might see it that way. What do you think, girls?” Miles was smiling, ignoring his brother’s sputters. 

“I mean… it’s a little odd, but I guess it’s fair.”

“Apple!” Raven was shaking her head. “This is stupid. I am not agreeing to this.”

“Darling, who’s to say I haven’t already been checking in on you from time to time? Never in your bedroom- I felt you needed privacy- but that small change might be preferable to any alternatives.”

Raven squawked and sputtered, seemingly having great difficulty forming actual words. Snow White checked her phone and sighed, standing. “I think it’s very reasonable, as long as I am kept in the loop. If you girls don’t agree, I’ll have to insist on bringing Apple to live in our palace and commute to school every morning.”

Apple gasped. “That’s a two hour commute!” 

“Perhaps it’s worth it. You might need to come back as it is, you clearly have forgotten many of our lessons about what it is to follow your destiny.” She glanced at the headmasters. “I have to go before I’m late to an important meeting. Send me an email about any new decisions or concerns?”

“Of course, your majesty.” 

Apple ran up and gave her mom a huge hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you first, Mom. Everything kind of exploded.”

“I know, sweetie. I understand. I’ve had a few ‘explosions’ in my time, too.” She regarded her teenaged daughter with a thoughtful eye. “You might be a little off-track, but you’ve got a good head and a good heart. I’ll see you soon, Apple muffin. I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom.” Apple hugged her mom a final time and waved as she and the dwarves made their exit. As she turned back, Raven took a deep breath, finally calming down.

“So. I guess I’ll be seeing more of you, Mom.” 

“I’ll always be on the other side of the mirror, darling.” 

“Hmph. Just don’t be all weird about it.” The Evil Queen smiled wickedly and blew a kiss as the mirror’s reflection wavered before becoming a simple reflection of the room again. Raven and Apple glanced at each other before turning to the headmasters. “So, what else? Can we go yet?”

Milton cleared his throat. “Just one more second.” 

Raven grit her teeth. “What is it now?”

“You two are working far outside the outlines here. Be careful. My concern is for your safety, and your destinies. That’s all I had to say.” Milton Grimm’s voice was solemn, and for once, Raven believed that he truly did care for her destiny as well as Apple’s. 

“Uh. Yeah, we’ll be careful.” Raven turned to leave, reaching for Apple’s hand. To her surprise, Apple didn’t offer hers, motioning for Raven to go on. 

Once alone with the headmasters, Apple took a deep breath. “I’ve been wondering. Has anybody ever been accidentally placed in the wrong story?”

“What? Of course not!” While Milton blustered, Miles looked more thoughtful. 

“You’re wondering if Raven was never meant to be your evil queen? Or even if she was never meant to be evil at all?” Apple nodded. “I guess it’s not impossible. But it’s never happened before. A few times people didn’t seem to fit in their stories at first, but through fate, the puzzle pieces always settled in by the end of the tale.” He paused. “Apple- you never know what twists the tale might take. That can be a very hopeful, inspiring thought. That can also be a danger. We all have general idea about our places in fate when the tale is told, but the details… a few details can change the whole plot.” 

Apple nodded slowly, and took her leave. That was the problem with asking the Grimm brothers a question- you often had more questions after than you did to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I'm so sorry this update has been such a long time coming! I appreciate you guys still reading and giving your kudos- even though I can't reply to comments very often now, it still means a lot!
> 
> The next update is going to be a break from the last chapters, and more of a quick summary so I can go farther along in the plot. If I had more time, I would explore it the way I originally planned to (continuing about this pace until the end of high school), but I don't and I really want to reach some ideas I've had for a long time now. Since it will be kind of a summary, there will be some things not as fleshed out as I wanted, and I'm really sorry for that. But life takes a lot of time, and I have to be careful about how much time I spend writing things I can't publish for financial gain. (WHY CAN'T THERE BE LIMITLESS TIME TO WRITE ALL THE THINGS. WHY??)
> 
> Anywhoo, see you whenever I have a chance to finish that chunk and put it up here!


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